Though a native of Atlanta, Walter Bellingrath was raised in the small town of Castleberry, Alabama where he got his start at the age of 17 with the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. His first job was as a station manager and his duties included sending and receiving telegraph messages. His old telegraph key sits on his desk in the Bellingrath Home as a reminder of those simple beginnings of one of the South's most generous benefactors.
Mrs. Bellingrath's love of gardens developed quickly and the couple's South Ann Street home was long admired for its extensive gardens and became the basis for Mobile's famous Azalea Trail in 1929.
It was her idea to start planting azaleas at "Belle
Camp" an otherwise rustic fishing camp, and her husband always credited
her genius for the creation of Bellingrath Gardens which opened to the
public in the spring of 1932.
Her household staff recalled her as always asking about
their families and quietly handing out $20 bills for small tasks
completed. She offered to help one young butler buy a car so he
would not have to share a ride to work and he was astounded when she
paid for the car in full. When he asked how much should be taken
from his weekly pay check her response was swift: "That was a
gift, not a loan." And as an afterthought, "Now not a word!"
The Gardens Open to the Public
During the spring of 1932, a national garden club meeting was being held
in Mobile. On Sunday, April 7, 1932, the Bellingraths issued a
general invitation to the public to view the Gardens between one and
five that afternoon. Over 5,000 Mobilians jammed the roads to see
what the Bellingraths called “Belle Camp,” currently in the height of
its azalea season. Mobile’s police force was needed to direct
traffic. The couple was stunned.
Overwhelmed by the response, the Bellingraths soon opened the Gardens to the public for spring appreciation and named the former fishing camp Bellingrath Gardens. Two years later in 1934, the couple decided to open the Gardens year-round. Mr. Bellingrath often said the Gardens were like a beautiful woman with a different dress for each week of the year.
Year-Round Floral Beauty
Throughout the year, Bellingrath Gardens and Home features a wide
variety of flowering plants throughout the 65 acre estate. From
camellias in winter, azaleas in spring, roses in summer, chrysanthemums
in autumn and poinsettias during the holidays, Bellingrath Gardens and
Home is always beautiful, but never the same.
Winter Wonderland: January through
February
Enjoy the wonders of a Winter Wonderland at Bellingrath Gardens and
Home! Featuring tulips, snapdragons, pansies, ornamental cabbage
and kale, camellias, daffodils, poppies, primroses, paper whites,
narcissus and more, January and February at Bellingrath is truly a
wonderful time to visit. Participate in our Winter Wednesdays and
learn more about winter gardens in the Gulf Coast.
