PRESS RELEASE
JASMINE HILL GARDENS ANNOUNCES SPRING OPENING |
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For Release Immediately Contact: Jim Inscoe or Dayna Coker (334) 263-5713
An early spring has brought Jasmine Hill Gardens and Outdoor Museum into bloom ahead of the usual schedule. Flowering Japanese cherries, Japanese magnolias, Carolina jasmine, forsythia, quince and some varieties of azaleas plus many annuals and perennials have created a mural of color along its native stone walks as the gardens prepare to open to the public on Friday, March 11.
The blooming season last year was dramatically delayed by the harsh winter, but the warm days experienced recently have pushed the normal blooming schedule ahead dramatically. Some early flowering trees have actually passed their peak as others are coming into full color. While the azalea peak will not begin until later in March, there are already plenty flowers to excite photographers and garden lovers alike.
Some perennials such as columbine and delphinium are already showing good color, while others such as foxglove and daisies are forming their buds. Annuals always add good color to the permanent plantings of blooming shrubbery throughout this 20-acre garden sitting atop Alabama’s first outcropping of the Appalachians. Often referred to as “Alabama’s Little Corner of Greece,” Jasmine Hill has numerous copies of famous Greek statuary and even temple ruins which create interest throughout the grounds.
Individual tourists may visit the gardens on Friday and Saturday from 9 AM to 5 PM and on Sundays from noon to 5 PM through June. Beginning July 2 the gardens will be open on Saturdays only from 9 Am to 5 PM through the end of October. This extended season is in response to many requests from visitors wishing to see the brilliant colors offered during summer and fall months. Admission is charged and each visitor is given a printed walking tour. Ample parking is free. Guided group tours can be arranged by calling (334) 263-5713. Facilities may also be rented for special events all year.
Jasmine Hill is located between Montgomery and Wetumpka just off U. S. Highway 231 at 3001 Jasmine Hill Road. Founded in 1928, the gardens still maintain the feeling of a “grandmother’s garden” created by founders Ben and Mary Fitzpatrick. Much of the work to create the walkways and stone walls was accomplished during the depression of the 1930’s using workmen from a nearby Civilian Conservation Corps camp.
Jasmine Hill Gardens and Outdoor Museum P. O. Box 6001 Montgomery, Alabama 36106 |
