Thursday, October 26, 2017

Huntsville Botanical Garden (10/26/2017)

Thursday, October 26, 2017
Today we left Westminster Village in Spanish Fort and drove to another ACTS retirement community, Magnolia Trace in Huntsville, AL. We were not to have a tour until the next day, so upon arriving in Huntsville, we went to the Botanical Garden.
Huntsville Botanical Garden entrance
Relatively new, the Huntsville Botanical Garden was built from scratch from 1980-1985, and continues to grow through the generosity of the community. There are several buildings around the gardens that are used as venues for events and weddings.
One of the exhibitions at the Garden is Wind, Waves, and Light: Kinetic Sculptures, featuring stainless steel installations by George Sherwood. Wind speed and direction, shades of light, time of day, precipitation, and seasonal color transform the qualities of light and movement of the sculpture.
Flock of Birds (2013) by George Sherwood
There was also a Scarecrow Trail, Gilded Gourds, and Gourd Art installations.
Kent with gourds and a friendly scarecrow
Cupola chandelier
Gourds along Little Smith Lake and
Memory of Water (2014) by George Sherwood (KSS)
Anemone of Gyres (2015) by George Sherwood (KSS)
Teledyne Terrace
Gilded Gourds display if gourd types
It's a Small World by the Thorens (KSS)
Cracked up with Flowers by Neva Beasley (KSS)
Interesting plant contrast with Capsicum annuum/Ornamental Pepper
and Dichondra argentea/Silver Ponyfoot (KSS)
Railway Garden with a G-scale train and trolley donated by a member
along with the track and buildings, while the layout and village
were constructed by a pair of Boy Scouts and the landscaping
 done by the Living Arts Bonsai Society (KSS)
Arbor of found branches (KSS)
Wow, an art installation made of gourds! (KSS)
The Ugly Duckling (you can barely see the dark green "ugly duckling at the end of the line) (KSS)
Donors Plaza with Turns (2015) by George Sherwood
Turns kinetic sculpture
This area is maintained by a robotic mower! (KSS)
Tamiko with huge Camellia sasanqua 'Rosea' (KSS)
Look! Callicarpa americana var. lactea/
White Beauty Berries (KSS)
Aquatic Garden with Chinese style pavilion, Great Blue Heron
sculptures, and the Colarium kinetic ssculpture
Colarium (2017) by George Sherwood (KSS)
Harvey by by Lotus Landscape Inc., on the Scarecrow Trail (KSS)
Magnolia macrophylla/Bigleaf Magnolia
Van Valkenburgh Daylily Garden
'Sheer Excitement' (KSS)
'Triple Cherries' (KSS)
Becky Basil by the Herb Garden Party -
Kelly, Susie, Erin, which took first place
among the scarecrows
The Herb Garden's Knot Garden, coming from Elizabethan England
features geometric patterns using dwarf hedges; St Fiacre
graces the center as he was a 7th century hermit with healing skills
Basella rubra/Red Malabar Spinach (KSS)
Solanum integrifolium/Ornamental Eggplant (KSS)
Life Without Limits by UCP Parent Group (KSS)
Frohliches/Happy or Merry by the Steigerwald Clan
(Paula Steigerwald is the CEO of the Garden)
Master Gardeners' Demonstration Garden
Trading Post Treehouse decorated for Halloween
We are Family by PFLAG Huntsville
Eloise McDonald Probst Guest Center (2017)
Purdy Butterfly House (the butterflies
are usually in residence May-September)
A Yellow Belly and Red Slider turtles (KSS)
Rocking chair view from the Guest Center over Little Smith Lake

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