Montgomery’s Botanical Garden Begins!

Posted on December 1, 2013 by bob in Yard 'N Garden

It was meant to be. On the grounds of Oak Park is an historical marker that includes the following sentence. “In February of 1965, the City Commission voted to reopen its recreational parks with Oak Park as a botanical garden.”

Many years have passed since that date without the botanical garden coming to fruition.  It took a passionate group of local citizens, educators and gardeners coming together to promote the idea of making it happen by planning, organizing and approaching city leaders. It became official November 7.

The ground-breaking ceremony took place on an overcast, windy day with rain clouds all around ,but not a drop fell. Mayor Todd Strange spoke of what the gardens will mean to the city, the community and visitors to Montgomery. The Montgomery Garden Club provided refreshments at the ceremony led by Lallie Rogers, the great, great granddaughter of the Josephs, former land owners of the Oak Park property.

Heather Coleman and Ethel Dozier Boykin, key players in promoting the project, presented the master  landscape, currently on display at the park. The landscape, created by Boykin and Fairlie Rinehart, will include these specialty gardens:

– Alabama Native Plants
– Children’s Garden
– Biblical Garden
– Japanese Garden
– Fern, Hosta and Hydrangea Garden
– Ground Cover Garden
– Butterfly Garden
– Rose Garden
– Rock Garden
– Conifer, Holly and Evergreen Garden
– Serenity Garden

The park is the perfect venue for future adult enrichment programs in gardening, botany, nature-related art, floral design, bird watching, botanical crafts, photography and health and wellness, as well as children’s outdoor classroom activities.  It will be a key destination for the city with the following concepts of its role developed by the Montgomery Botanical Garden Board of Directors:

– destination location for residents and visitors
– natural science-based educational experience
– role model for environmentally sound, sustainable horticultural practices
– important and profitable venue for events and functions
– plant collections-based living museum
– museum of Alabama outdoor art

The gardens will be developed in stages as money and hands are available, and several committees are being formed, including fund raising, events planning, strategic planning, history, membership and plant procurement.

Volunteers are needed for these and other committees, as well as to work in the gardens. If you would like to volunteer for any of these opportunities e-mail montgomerybotanicalgarden@gmail.com.

Honor bricks will be sold in the near future for paving a garden near the front entrance. If you wish to purchase a brick in memory of a friend or loved one, send donations to:

Montgomery Botanical Gardens
P.O. Box 344
Montgomery, Alabama 36101

After the print edition of Prime went to press, additional information was received about fundraising opportunities.

The Board of Directors of the Montgomery Botanical Garden recently approved a recognition opportunity for charter members. Anyone contributing a minimum of $50 before December 31, 2013 will be a “Charter Member.” A permanent plaque, listing all Charter Members, will be on display at the garden. Checks should be made payable to the Montgomery Botanical Garden at Oak Park and mailed to the address above.

Oak Park may only be a memory for many Montgomery residents, but its future is bright as a major recreational and educational asset in the River Region. Come watch, and participate, in the transformation.

Eileen Webb is a member of the Capital City Master Gardener Association. For information on becoming a master gardener , visit the website, www.capcitymga.org or e-mail capcitymga@gmail.com.

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