Montgomery

Cool Story Ideas

FOR RELEASE:  March 16, 2015
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Call 334-263-5713 Or 334-328-8917
CONTACT:  Dayna Coker or Jim Inscoe

JASMINE HILL FEATURED ON THE ALABAMA GARDEN TRAIL

This year the Alabama Tourism Department has established the Alabama Garden Trail and Jasmine Hill Gardens and Outdoor Museum located between Montgomery and Wetumpka has been honored as a featured attraction.  Other gardens include the Huntsville Botanical Garden, Birmingham Botanical Garden, Aldridge Gardens, Dothan Botanical Gardens, Mobile Botanical Gardens and Bellingrath Gardens.  Tour brokers will be introduced to this promotion with a new brochure to be highlighted at the Travel South Showcase next week in Shreveport, Louisiana. 

Spring is finally starting to show its beauty at Jasmine Hill Gardens.  Although they are late in arriving because of the unusually cold winter, the flowering Japanese cherries are starting to show their snowy white blossoms.  Along with many daffodils and tulips mixed in the flower beds featuring pansies and snapdragons, there are colorful shrubs such as forsythia, pearl bush, quince and star magnolias in full bloom to welcome visitors.  Pots of amaryllis and calla lilies brighten areas surrounding statues as heralds of the beauty  expected here in late March.

Many new varieties of flowers are being prepared for planting in the gardens this year.  A cherry tree which blooms in the fall and some spectacular varieties of camellias will be noticed as the seasons progress.  Spring, however, is truly spectacular at Jasmine Hill when the hundreds of azaleas, dogwoods and flowering Japanese cherries reach their peak in late March and early April.  Ben and Mary Fitzpatrick who founded the gardens planned to have something in bloom all year.  This winter’s cold weather made it difficult for the camellias to bloom, but the buds are now developing and their flowers are everywhere along the stone walkways.

Visitors can enjoy the gardens every weekend from 9 to 5 on Friday and Saturday, and from noon to 5 on Sunday. 

For GPS directions enter 3001 Jasmine Hill Road, Wetumpka, AL 36093.

THUMBS UP FOR HANDS ON!…The Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, located in Blount Cultural Park, is home to one of only eight kid’s hands-on museum in Alabama.

JET SKI CHAMPIONSHIP SPREE…the country’s best Watercross defenders competed here in Montgomery on the Alabama River for the title of U.S. Open of Watercross Champ.