Winter Wednesdays at Bellingrath start Jan. 2

Winter Wednesdays at Bellingrath start Jan. 2

Winter Wednesdays at Bellingrath Gardens and Home start on Jan. 9 and continue thru February at the Mobile institution.
By tradition, the series kicks off on the first Wednesday of the New Year with the After Christmas Sale in the Bellingrath Gift Shop, a daylong event on Wednesday, January 2. Visitors are encouraged to take advantage of post-holiday discounts and to tour the Gardens and Home.
The Winter Wednesdays sessions are held each week in the Magnolia Room through Feb. 27. Admission to the program is included in the regular Gardens admission, and guests are encouraged to tour the Gardens after the session. Registration is requested: To register, call 251-459-8864. The Winter Wednesdays sessions are held each week in the Magnolia Room through Feb. 27. Admission to the program is included in the regular Gardens admission, and guests are encouraged to tour the Gardens after the session. Registration is requested: To register, call 251-459-8864.
Winter Wednesdays schedule:
• January 9: Frye Gaillard, author – Frye Gaillard, writer in residence at the University of South Alabama, has written extensively on Southern race relations, politics and culture. He will discuss his new book, “A Hard Rain: America in the 1960s, Our Decade of Hope, Possibility, and Innocence Lost,” his deeply personal history of this pivotal time in American life. After the presentation, Gaillard will sign copies of his book, which will be available to purchase in the Gift Shop. Time: 10:30-11:30 a.m.
• January 16: “The Underwater Forest,” with Ben Raines – Environmental reporter and filmmaker Ben Raines will describe the secrets of an ancient underwater cypress forest recently discovered south of Alabama’s Gulf Shores in the Gulf of Mexico. The cypress forest dates back to an Ice Age more than 60,000 years ago, when sea levels were 400 feet lower than today. Raines’ documentary about the forest was released in June 2017. Time: 10:30-11:30 a.m.
• January 23: Non-native Invasive Plants – Beau Brodbeck, an Extension Forestry Agent and an Affiliate Faculty in the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences at Auburn University, will teach our guests about managing some of Alabama’s worst invasive plant species. Brodbeck holds a PhD in Forestry and is both an Alabama Registered Forester and ISA Certified Arborist. Time: 10:30-11:30 a.m.
• January 30: Viewing the Winter Sky at Bellingrath Gardens – Do not miss this very special evening astronomy program, led by members of the University of South Alabama Department of Physics. Following a brief lecture, guests will view the night sky on the Great Lawn. Telescopes will be set up to view planets and constellations. Guests are asked to bring binoculars and flashlights. Time: 5:30-7 p.m.
• February 6: Winter Garden Walk – There is always something blooming at Bellingrath Gardens! Learn about the interesting winter borders and containers throughout the Gardens from Bellingrath’s Horticulture Management Team: Executive Director Dr. Bill Barrick, Nursery Manager Chuck Owens and Display Coordinator Barbara Smith. Time: 10:30-11:30 a.m.
• February 13: All About Camellias – Camellias are well-adapted to the South and have been growing in coastal gardens since the mid-1800s. Seth Allen, Horticultural Director and Curator of Collections at Mobile Botanical Gardens, will describe the history and cultivation of this winter-blooming shrub and give advice on selecting the best varieties for your garden. Time: 10:30-11:30 a.m.
• February 20: “Things are Seldom What They Seem,” with Tom McGehee – The Bellingrath Home collection includes several remarkable examples of metamorphic furniture, pieces which were designed to change functions and were often built with moving parts. Join Tom McGehee, Curator of the Bellingrath Museum Home, for a closer look at these fascinating 19th century designs. Time: 10:30-11:30 a.m.
• February 27: “Flowers for Mom: Honoring an Alzheimer’s Journey and Celebrating Nature” – Artist Elmore Demott, a great-granddaughter of Walter Bellingrath’s brother, William, uses the medium of photography to express thoughts and emotions. The “Flowers for Mom” series, which features photographs from 20 states, the District of Columbia and 12 countries, represents her artistic response to her mother’s struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. Time: 10:30-11:30 a.m.