Title: Bellingrath Gardens - Mobile, Alabama
Author: Anonymous
Language: English
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                                 VISIT
                              Bellingrath
                               _Gardens_
                      CHARM SPOT of the DEEP SOUTH


    [Illustration: (uncaptioned)]

                  _On Isle-Aux-Oies_ (_Fowl_) _River_
                            Admission—$2.00
                            (Including Tax)

                           OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
                            THE YEAR ’ROUND

                            MOBILE, ALABAMA



                        Bellingrath Gardens ...
             _on Isle-Aux-Oies_ (_Fowl_) _River ... Mobile_


    [Illustration: (uncaptioned)]

The world-famed Bellingrath Gardens unfold their acres of glowing,
brilliant colors along the winding banks of the Isle-Aux-Oies River
about twenty miles from the town of Old Mobile, and about one mile from
famous Mobile Bay.

No gardens these that have been planted and seasoned with bygone
centuries, but a young and virile landscape fraught with patriarchs of
bushes transplanted by the thousands from old-time gardens. It was
planned and created by the work and loving care of Mr. and Mrs. W. D.
Bellingrath, and brought to breath-taking beauty and nature’s most
perfect setting of Southern shrubs and foliage and towering age-old
oaks. And once within the magic portals of this place, enchantment grows
with every turn along the flower-banked way—for here dwells
beauty—unfolded in the myriad brilliant blooms on every hand.

    [Illustration: (uncaptioned)]

Ethereal Azaleas and Camellias are everywhere, and Gardenias and Sweet
Olive fill the air with perfume that lingers along with memories of this
famous garden spot. Bridal-like pathways are strewn with falling petals
from the fragrant fragile flowers, and majestic arms of giant oaks—gray
draped with mystic Spanish moss—form cavelike arches overhead. The roses
have a corner of their own, where round and round in pattern of a giant
Rotarian Wheel they flaunt their gorgeous colors in strong young buds.
Old lavender Wisteria festoons its way along the redolent magnolia trees
and brilliant blue Hydrangeas and Altheas and dogwood add a glory all
their own to their respective seasons. Most every tree and shrub that
likes the gentle clime along the Gulf has made its home within the
hundred acres encompassed by the Bellingrath Gardens and found therein
the care that lends an added beauty to their untamed growth. The
clinging tendrils of a thousand vines have wound their way along the
friendly branches of the trees, and woven round their heads a mesh to
keep the troubles of a distraught world from penetrating into this place
of beauty, quietude and peace.

    [Illustration: (uncaptioned)]

Quaint flagstone walks lead down to the rippling river—or off again to
loiter by the lake to watch the gliding swans along the lily pads, or
see the thousand yellow lilies dancing in reflection on the water’s
edge. The tinkled splash of fountained waters or the trilling tributes
of a wild bird accent the thrilling majesty that comes with peace and
beauty.

And here has been established a home, superbly built of rich old brick
and traditional Southern iron grillwork. It is a perfect jewel in a
perfect setting into which age-old romance and history have been woven.
The lines of sturdy Norman grouping are softened and accented by the
rich-railed balconies and porticos that bring to mind the quaint courts
and cloisters of Southern Europe and the influence of Old France and
Spain upon the Gulf Coast colonies.



                     “Charm Spot of the Deep South”


    [Illustration: (uncaptioned)]

    [Illustration: (uncaptioned)]

    [Illustration: (uncaptioned)]

In Bellingrath Gardens the Southland boasts one of the loveliest garden
spots in all the world—the true “Charm Spot of the Deep South.” Serenely
conscious of the rare appeal and magnetism of ever-changing beauty,
Bellingrath Gardens offer an untold wealth of verdant foliage at any
time of the year the casual caller comes. In fall the mammoth
Chrysanthemums are magnificent and early winter brings the prized
collection of Camellias has in myriad brilliant hues. Spring coaxes
forth thousands of bulbous blossoms and the dazzling show of
Bellingrath’s far-famed Azaleas in every known variety. Then summer
comes to show its radiant colors in Southern Oleanders, Crepe Myrtle,
and Gardenias—and always—through the centuries gone and those years yet
to come, the giant bearded oaks and forest trees raise reverent arms as
if to bring this beauty nearer God.



 Facts about the _glorious_ azaleas of Mobile _and Bellingrath Gardens_


Though each season envelops the world in its own peculiar beauty and
charm, not the wildest dreams of the most fervid and keen imagination
can conjure the beauty of Bellingrath Gardens when Azaleas are blooming.
Thousands of them line the many rambling walks that wind over this
marvelous estate. Around the lily-bordered lake—Mirror Lake—you go
enthralled by the gigantic Azaleas that scatter their trillion petals
from the million flowers that cover a single bush. Mobile’s own romantic
history is closely interwoven with this gorgeous flower, and dates as
far back as the founding of the city in 1711. From carefully
authenticated sources it was learned that a young Frenchman living in
Mobile visited France to see his grandparents. So impressed was he by
the dazzling Azaleas that on his return to Mobile he brought back three
varieties; the pink, the purplish red, the white. And today in
Bellingrath Gardens you find some of the oldest and largest Azalea
bushes in America, specimen plants that have been collected at great
expense from old gardens all over the South, and transplanted here in a
perfect setting.

    [Illustration: _The plaque shown above was placed in Bellingrath
    Gardens by the citizens of Mobile as a tribute to Mr. and Mrs.
    Bellingrath and in appreciation of their civic work and the
    development of lovely Bellingrath Gardens._]

Looking down the pathway of the rustic bridge across Mirror Lake in
Bellingrath Gardens is a patriarch of the Azalea family. It is an early
pink, blooming generally around the middle of February. When in full
bloomage, the gorgeous mass of flowers completely hides the green
foliage of this rare bush, which is more than 26 feet in diameter, 14
feet high and 80 feet in circumference. Involuntary exclamations of
delight as the visitor reaches this spot is an invariable tribute to the
overwhelming beauty of this giant Azalea.

    [Illustration: _Numerous Giant Azalea Bushes Greet the Visitor to
    Bellingrath Gardens_

    _When you visit Bellingrath Gardens in the spring, there are other
    outstanding attractions of the Southland you’ll want to see. One of
    these is Mobile’s Azalea Trail in the late winter and early spring,
    a glamorous 17-mile tour of flower-lined streets. Another
    interesting event, usually in March, is the New Orleans Spring
    Fiesta, featuring Ante-Bellum Homes, Gardens, French Quarter Tours,
    and other attractions. You’ll enjoy a visit, too, at this season to
    Natchez during Pilgrimage Time._]



                         What others say about
                        B_ellingrath_ G_ardens_


    [Illustration: (uncaptioned)]

Fascinating scenes like those pictured here inspire many extravagant
words of praise by visitors to Bellingrath Gardens.

The renowned columnist, Dorothy Dix, makes this statement:

  “_I have seen the beautiful gardens all over the world—in France,
  England, Germany, Japan, as well as in this country—but I have never
  seen anything so gorgeous as Bellingrath Gardens._”

                                   ★

Mr. Rufus C. Dawes, President of the Chicago World’s Fair, was equally
as complimentary:

  “It is the most beautiful and best developed garden I ever visited.”

                                   ★

Another famous visitor, Mr. Harrison Jones, Executive Vice-President of
the Coca-Cola Company, had this to say:

  “_The Bellingrath Gardens on Fowl River are one of the most
  magnificent in the world._”

                                   ★

Mr. Harper Sibley, Past President of the Chamber of Commerce of the
United States, visited Bellingrath Gardens and writes:

  “_I had, of course, long heard of your wonderful Azaleas—but I was
  completely overwhelmed by the magnificence and the sweep of
  Bellingrath Gardens. As it happens, I have studied landscape
  architecture and have had the privilege of visiting many of the most
  beautiful gardens in the world, in America, on the Continent, down in
  Italy, and in such remote places as Kashmir and Japan, but these
  gardens of Mobile rank with the very finest anywhere._”

                                   ★

In a feature article appearing in Better Homes and Gardens Elmer T.
Peterson had this to say:

  “_Bellingrath Gardens are authoritatively listed near the top among
  the most beautiful gardens in the United States, and when you have
  seen them you will not doubt._”



                    _A Garden Pageant in Four Acts_


    [Illustration: (uncaptioned)]

Like a pageant in four acts, each with a climax—that is the description
of the “Charm Spot of the Deep South” known all over the world as
Bellingrath Gardens of Mobile, Alabama. Here in these world-famed
Gardens the show goes on throughout the year, with each season putting
on a new act, and bringing forth a new spectacle—a continual parade of
changing colors to enchant the visitor every month of the year.

Formerly a semitropical jungle, Bellingrath Gardens are now a perfumed
theatre, the air sweet from the mingled odors of growing plants and
flowers. A symphony of fragrance! That’s the orchestra to this flowering
performance in this sixty-acre garden, the owners of which were Mr. and
the late Mrs. Walter D. Bellingrath. Theirs was a magician’s art, and
from a wild, untamed land of magnolias, moss-draped live and water oaks,
bays and pines, they have wrought a spectacular scene of color. Every
twenty feet in Bellingrath Gardens is a vista, some special picture, a
never-to-be-forgotten view. There are murmuring fountains and singing
cascades and flagstone paths that breathe romance. It is indeed a
paradise for nature lovers, a rare and lovely garden that justifies a
thousand-mile journey, and each year thousands come from afar and view
this marvelous spectacle.


                                 ACT I.

There’s a beauty that beggars description. That is the beauty one finds
in Bellingrath Gardens. The first act of the Bellingrath Gardens Show
opens in October, when the wondrous Camellias begin to bloom. The
Camellia Japonica has no equal in the plant world for its beauty and
fitness for the glorification of the home and garden. A native of Japan,
it was introduced through European channels to Mobile about one hundred
years ago. Possibly some five or six hundred varieties exist, embracing
many types and colors. Pure white through every shade of pink to deep
red and crimson, ending with some blooms having a decided purplish cast,
no other flowering plant can give such a diversity of types, a range
baffling description. Singles, semidoubles, peony flowering types, some
with dense pompon centers, other shaggy flowers with center petals
whirled and twisted, full doubles of every conceivable type. Again some
varieties are solid colors, others have variegation through the petals;
some are mottled; others are striped and others have petals of various
colors throughout the flowers. The varieties of Camellia Japonica having
a tendency to show variegation are a never-ending source of expectation
and admiration. The charm and amazing variety of the Camellia Japonica
found in Bellingrath Gardens quickly convince the visitor that here is
one of the most remarkable collections of this beautiful flowering shrub
ever gathered together. Small wonder that Act I is an invariable
success.

    [Illustration: (uncaptioned)]


                                ACT II.

In the middle of Act I the Camellia Japonica is joined by its costar,
the Azalea, and together they march on triumphantly to the enthusiastic
applause of an appreciative audience. During January and February the
Camellia Japonica reaches its heights, graciously yielding the spotlight
to the glorious Azalea as the scene changes from winter to spring. There
are no fitting words to describe the colorful and appealing drama of the
dainty Camellia Japonica meeting the glorious Azalea when both are at
their best. It is an act that never fails—a spectacle never to be
forgotten.

Of the countless number of words written to describe the beauty that
catches the eye during Act II, nothing yet has been written or said to
do justice to the varicolored Azalea plants in their fullest bloom. “The
Flaming Drama of the South” it has been appropriately called in Better
Homes and Gardens. The plants range in size from the midget variety to
those ancient bushes that grow to the extent of over 100 feet in
circumference, with their histories dating back over two centuries. When
the Azalea plant is in full bloom, every vestige of foliage is entirely
smothered in the crimson, coral, white or purple flowers that the bush
may bear. It is not surprising that the startling performance of the
amazingly brilliant Azalea should be rewarded by a tremendous ovation
from an enthralled audience of many thousands. Nowhere in the world is
the gorgeous Azalea found in a setting so fitting as in Bellingrath
Gardens.

    [Illustration: (uncaptioned)]

    [Illustration: (uncaptioned)]


                                ACT III.

Slowly recovering from the rapture and absorbing drama of the Azalea in
full bloom, Bellingrath Gardens open Act III in their charming spring
dress. Various shades of green stand out in relief as young leaves take
the place of old. Ancient live oaks, water oaks, bays, magnolias,
cedars, pines, holly and dogwood take on new hues and assume their roles
in this show with magnificent beauty and splendor. Mountain Laurel and
the double-flowered white Spiraea brighten the stage with their delicate
blossoms. The colorful Hydrangea and the fragrant Gardenia do a
specialty act of their own that is one of the hits of the season.


                                ACT IV.

New actors and actresses add their beauty to the cast as summer drifts
by. The Crepe Myrtle, the Oleander, the Magnolia, the Hibiscus, the
Allamanda and numerous other colorful flowers help make the Bellingrath
Gardens Show the wonderful pageant that it is. Summer fades into fall,
and as the final curtain is lowered the audience reluctantly leaves with
happy smiles and fond memories of the “Charm Spot of the Deep South”: of
dexterous landscaping: of gray Spanish moss draping branches of noble
oaks and cypresses and forming backdrop curtains for the thrilling drama
continuously being produced way down South in Bellingrath Gardens.

    [Illustration: Enchanting flagstone walks wind their peaceful way
    through Bellingrath Gardens—a man-made rivulet trickles down a
    stairway of stone—the charming collection and amazing variety of the
    Camellia Japonica in this dream garden—these and many other scenes
    never fail to enchant the visitor.]

    [Illustration: A fountain, canopied by waving gray moss, presents
    one of the loveliest scenes in this “Charm Spot of the Deep South.”
    It seems to whisper, “Here We Rest.”]

    [Illustration: Age-old romance and history have been woven into this
    magnificent home of Mr. and the late Mrs. Walter D. Bellingrath. The
    exquisitely patterned iron lace that borders its rich-railed
    balconies and porticos once stood guard around the two-tiered
    porches of Mobile’s famous Old Southern Hotel, and are remindful of
    the influence of Old France and Spain upon the Gulf Coast colonies.]



                          PAGEANTRY OF BEAUTY


    [Illustration: (uncaptioned)]

    [Illustration: The lovely rose also adds its charm to the beauty of
    Bellingrath Gardens. In a corner of their own they bloom profusely
    to delight the many visitors. This Rose Garden contains over a
    thousand bushes planted in beds laid out in design like a Rotary
    Wheel.]



                              INFORMATION

For information concerning Bellingrath Gardens, inquire at any AAA
office or your Tourist Information Bureau, “Ask Mr. Foster” Service, or
write direct to Bellingrath Gardens, Mobile, Alabama. Western Union and
long distance telephone service are available at Gardens. Regular
round-trip bus service from Mobile to the Gardens each morning and
afternoon at special rate.

    [Illustration: VISIT Bellingrath _Gardens_
    CHARM SPOT OF THE DEEP SOUTH]

                        _To Bellingrath Gardens_
                   TURN SOUTH AT THEODORE FROM US 90

  US 45 To SELMA
  US 31 To MONTGOMERY
  US 90 To NEW ORLEANS
    PASS CHRISTIAN
    GULFPORT
    BILOXI
    OCEAN SPRINGS
    PASCAGOULA
    GRAND BAY
    IRVINGTON
    _Theodore_
      _Bellingrath Gardens_
    MOBILE
    LOXLEY
    ROBERTSDALE
    PENSACOLA
  US 90 TO ALL FLORIDA POINTS

    [Illustration: _Invitation to_
    Bellingrath _Gardens_
    CHARM SPOT OF THE DEEP SOUTH]



                          Transcriber’s Notes


—Silently corrected a few typos.

—Rearranged material to suit a vertically-flowing presentation.

—Retained publication information from the printed edition: this eBook
  is public-domain in the country of publication.

—In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by
  _underscores_.





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