A Garden of the Heart

Aldridge Gardens is a 30 acre picturesque retreat nestled in the middle of Hoover, Alabama, with urban condos and shopping malls just moments away. Eddie Aldridge, its founder, once lived there with his wife Kay, but with plans for the gardens to become public, they moved to their current home overlooking a lake in 1996. In the new location Eddie has created another impressive garden, filled with plants he loves. This 2 acre personal garden is a garden of the heart, developed not for show but to bring joy to its owners. I was thrilled when Eddie and Kay invited me to visit their garden this week, and I am happy to have their permission to share my photographs of their special place with you. Enjoy!

Their beautiful fountain once graced the Aldridge's Garden Shop. I remember it well, for Aldridge's was one of my favorite places to buy plants!

This lace leaf Japanese maple also once was located on the site of Aldridge's Garden Shop. It is about 60 years old. It is still in a pot, though the bottom of the pot has been knocked out so that its roots can spread.

Here is another one of Eddie's special Japanese maples. This one is about 100 years old! There is a wire cage around its trunk to protect it from beavers, the creatures most notorious for destruction in Aldridge's garden.

Walking around the garden and viewing the lake, one feels the serenity of the space. It is very quiet, except for the birds!

Some more views of the garden:

Charming accents are featured throughout the garden. The butterfly bench is one of my favorites:

Eddie explains that while he oversees the main landscape, Kay's domain is the terrace. This area has great views of the garden and the lake, but I enjoyed Kay's lovely accessories, as well:

Eddie and Kay are well into their retirement years but remain active and very involved in the community. As all good gardens reveal something of the gardener's soul, I think this one reflects the gracious and youthful spirits of its owners.

You may also enjoy my previous post, Young Lovers at Aldridge Gardens

Going, Gone: November Review

The end of November brings a sadness for fading glory and a resolve to love winter in spite of it. Fall colors peaked during November, then within days it is gone.

In the following grouping, the photos on the left were taken on November 18, the ones on the right were taken today, November 30:

Watch the Japanese maple, Orido Nishiki, on the right in the following photos as the month progresses. 

Nov. 5:
 Nov. 12:

 Nov. 17:

 Nov. 20:

And today, Nov. 30, most of the beautiful leaves are on the ground, covering the moss path. I will need to rake these leaves since moss won't thrive if it is covered. It gets most of its nutrients from the air, rather than the soil.

Not all leaves have fallen, and some of the ones that have are still quite interesting:Clockwise, from top left: Korean Spice Viburnum; Anthony Waterer Spirea; a shriveled hosta leaf; Variegated Hydrangea.

Recent frost shriviled and browned flowers that had persisted well into the month, but they were pretty while they lasted. Yes, I know the ornamental cabbage on the second row is not a flower, but it is pretty enough to be one. It also is the only one to be unfazed by the frost:

Some woodland trees, photos taken less than two weeks ago. Only the evergreen Feelin' Blue, a weeping deodar cedar, looks the same now:Left: dogwood, Cornus Florida; Top right: 'Waterfall' Japanese maple; Bottom right: Japanese maple 'Orido Nishiki' and 'Feelin' Blue' deodar cedar. The trunk in the middle belongs to a dogwood. 

Finally, here is my Tin Man, given to me years ago by a dear friend, and a few other garden ornaments. The large urn is a water reservoir in the woodland garden, which fortunately I have not needed to use at all this month:

Now it's time to look toward winter, to Christmas and family gatherings, to snuggling under the blankets, to fires upon the hearth, to homemade soup and warm comforting drinks, to good books and garden catalogues, and maybe, just maybe, to a little bit of snow!