7 Gardens

[Arnaude Kubiak]

DescansoGardens sits on 150 acres of cultivated and wild land nestled into a natural bowl by surrounding mountains. Explore our many paths and trails, verdant woodlands, lush gardens, and colorful native flowers. Escape the urban buzz and enjoy the best of the season.

Duke Gardens is recognized as one of the premier public gardens in the United States, renowned for its landscape design and high quality horticulture. Each year, more than 300,000 visitors come to Duke Gardens from all over the world. Admission is free, and we are open 365 days a year.

Duke Gardens receives half of its operating budget from Duke University. The rest comes from people like you, who value all that Duke Gardens has to offer. We thank you for your appreciation and support of Sarah P. Duke Gardens.

Membership to the Gardens means free admission, discounts on classes and events and in our Gardenshop, reciprocal benefits at other gardens across the country, members-only hours at the Gardens, and more!

Gardenshop online has thousands of items to peruse as gifts for friends and family, and every purchase in our store is powerful: each sale directly supports our mission to inspire meaningful connections among people, plants, and nature.

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ADA-compliant pathways are wheelchair and stroller friendly, and ramps facilitate movement between upper and lower levels. Pathways have been further enhanced by a new drainage system, brick edging (replacing metal edging), and stone dust pavement (replacing pebble pavement).

The gardens also feature more seating options, including a circular bench around a large and centrally located Bur Oak. Additional shade will develop when climbers such as nonfruiting grapevines, Clematis and Rose engulf the series of arching steel trellises.

Hillwood's spectacular gardens capture the vision Marjorie Post conceived when building the estate in the 1950s. She designed the gardens to flower in the spring and fall, when she was in residence at Hillwood. Today, they offer something beautiful in every season.

Whether you stroll them at your own leisurely pace, learn more through a guided audio tour, or let a docent be your guide, the gardens are beautiful year-round. See what's in bloom and plan your visit today.

From 29 March to 31 October 2024, enjoy the Musical Gardens and the Great Musical Waters in the gardens and groves opened for the occasion. Every Saturday evening from 8 June to 21 September, Sunday 14 July, friday 28 June and Thursday 15 August, discover the Gardens in the evening with the The Night Fountains Show.

Your support of our internationally-acclaimed gardens ensures that this enduring pleasure garden will thrive for the enjoyment of all. Financial support is a passport through the garden gate, and into the ever-changing tapestry of botanical delights and sights of The Elizabethan Gardens. In addition, membership gives you access to special events and activities year-round.

Our gates are normally open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., unless a special event or severe weather limits operations. Admission is free. The Gardens are closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Day, and for special events.

DOG WALKING AND FISHING

Walking leashed dogs and fishing our lake are only allowed on Mondays through Thursdays. (Please clean up after your pet.) Fishing is catch and take. Both fishing and dog walking are not allowed on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

All group and professional photography requests need to be pre-approved by Janet Abernathy (janet.a...@hooveralabama.gov) and scheduled at least 10 days in advance. Due to weddings and special events taking place, certain dates and timeframes will be unavailable (especially Fridays and Saturdays). We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your understanding.

Take a look at our step-by-step guidelines on best practices for planting. Learn about the process we take, from digging the hole, to root considerations, backfilling, mulching, and watering. See the diagram and read more here.

Due to the high volume of social events that have rented space at Aldridge Gardens, groups of 10 or more people will need a reservation and are subject to a rental fee. All requests need to be pre-approved by Kristen Valentine (kristen....@hooveralabama.gov) and scheduled 10 days in advance. Our goal is to make sure everyone has a positive experience here at the Gardens.

The art of Laura Reichert and Kathy Prince will be on display in our gallery beginning July 8th. This will be a combined exhibit of two artists with different styles and approaches. Their show will provide a colorful and diverse look at art within our gallery. Click here to see a selection of pieces from their exhibit.

Aldridge Gardens is quite proud of our Meyer Bonsai Terrace, as it is home to one of the finest collections of Bonsai in the southeastern United States. Click here to see additional photos and learn more about it.

For the twelfth consecutive year, Dr. Richard Ryel and his wife Patricia are leading our guided bird watches for Aldridge Gardens members. From March through November, these are generally held on the 3rd Saturday of each month from 8 - 10 a.m. Learn more about and register for our next bird walk here.

This class will show you a great way to include upper body exercise and add balance assistance while walking. Saturday, August 24th, from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Led by Dr. Leroy Hurt, this class is free. But registration is required. Get the details and register here.

In this video, from the spring of 2017, our late founder tells the story of how Aldridge Gardens came to be. Unfortunately, Eddie passed away in November of 2018. But his legacy will always be visible here in the beauty of Aldridge Gardens. Watch it now.

We are looking for volunteers to help us keep the Gardens running smoothly. From the gatehouse and gift shop to gardening in the hydrangea and azalea gardens or even propagating plants, we could use your help. Learn how you can play a part and sign up online here.

An addition to the path at Aldridge Gardens, made possible through a grant from the Cawaco RC&D Council, now leads adults and children to a new imaginative play area known as Fort Aldridge. Here children can engage in unstructured free play using what they can find in nature. Click here to see photos and learn more about it.

Parents and Grandparents! Have you seen our STORYWALK at Aldridge Gardens? If not, make plans to come by and see it. Sponsored by Hoover Public Library, there are 18 panels and the book is changed out quarterly. Learn more about it.

Did you know we have an apiary here at Aldridge Gardens? An apiary is a collection of honey bee hives, providing both pollination and honey production. Our apiary is named "Apiopolis." Find out how it got its name and learn more about it here.

Did you know that Aldridge Gardens is an ideal location for bird watching? In fact, we are a part of the Appalachian Highlands Alabama Birding Trail. Click here to learn more about our members-only bird walks and download our birding brochure.

Have you visited the Veterans Memorial Arbor and Pentagon Plaza at Aldridge Gardens? Our nature trail will lead you to both of these sites located at the back of our 5 acre lake. The arbor features flags from all five service branches, along with the U.S. flag, and the plaza contains bronzed busts honoring three young men from Hoover who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Learn more about it.

We are always looking for ways to make Aldridge Gardens more accessible to everyone. Take a look at some of our most recent updates we've made to our walking trail to make it 100% accessible. Learn more.

Our gates are normally open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., unless a special event or severe weather limits operations. Admission is free. The Gardens are closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Years Day.

Need a beautiful location for a big event, aside from Aldridge Gardens? This is just the place. In fact, the city itself began inside this house! Learn more about this historic home and event venue here in Hoover.

We're delighted to be part of the Alabama Garden Trail! You can explore and experience Alabama's beautiful gardens from the top of the state all the way down to the Gulf, and of course right here in Hoover! Visit the official travel site of Alabama to learn more.

We currently open our gates daily at 8 a.m. and close them at 7 p.m., unless severe weather limits normal operations or special events require closing. If you need to communicate with us, please call 205.739.6558. Our business offices are closed on Saturday and Sunday.

Fortunately, a group of City Fathers in the 1950s and 60s recognized the importance of keeping our heritage alive as well as providing a place where community-members and visitors could gather. They were able to procure the last working windmill allowed to leave the Netherlands in 1964. The historic windmill 'de Zwaan' is the highlight of our park and stands amongst 36 acres of exhibits, gardens and natural areas. The mill still turns and grinds grain into flour and a tour up 5 floors is the highlight of any visit to the park.

We strive to connect with visitors on a variety of interests - history, horticulture, floriculture, engineering, music, science, agriculture, food, and much more - all under an umbrella of our area's Dutch heritage.

Nestled in the heart of Druid Hills, the Cator Woolford Gardens offers a rare glimpse into 1920s Atlanta. This lush oasis is one of the few viable estates still standing in the city today, and is virtually untouched by city sprawl. Once the home of Cator Woolford, a principal founder of what is now known as Equifax, the Italian-style gardens serve as a wedding and event venue infused with decades of classic beauty and Southern charm.

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