Rooms with Views

Set within a framework of original walls and terraces, this garden has been totally replanted during the current owners' tenure of two decades. The results, however, seem timeless. Designed in the 1920s by notable Birmingham architects Miller & Martin, the house sits at the foot of a sloping lawn, framed with hedges, shrubs, and specimen trees. This graceful, naturalistic landscape presents an almost-Arcadian setting for the house. It also lends dramatic contrast to the walled and terraced gardens behind and below. A tile-paved "balcony" off the formal and family living rooms is furnished for both seating and dining. Container plantings offer seasonal accents of fragrance and bloom. But the most important feature is the view! A sweeping panorama, the vista extends for miles across Shades Valley to the ridge beyond. One full story down, a bowed parterre of boxwood, cornered by antique terra-cotta urns, provides a suitably restrained foreground for the dramatic view. Turf, and a border of lenten roses, Japanese maples, irises, and lamb's ears complete the composition. Below this garden lies a crescent space devoted to fruits: tree, bramble, and bush. The space beyond is a "wilderness" of ornamental trees and grasses, all enclosed by towering hollies and magnolias. An intermediate-level terrace provides transition between the balcony and lower gardens. Centered on an open lawn, this area is framed with stone-laid walks, box hedges, and a small allée of potted trees. At the far end of the space, a dining table and chairs provide occasion for al fresco entertaining. And over the top of the gardens' far wall, the hint of another view. Tucked away below this level is a walled and hedged enclosure devoted to bocce. Court-side chairs and benches, a games table, and potted flowering shrubs create a casual air of welcome to this almost-secret space. The plants throughout the property were chosen with seasonal interest in mind. Deciduous flowering trees and shrubs, perennials, bulbs, and annuals lend their interest through the year. And even the garden's evergreens, which give it structure and privacy, were chosen with foliage, flower, and fruit in mind.

This garden's estimated size is 1 acre.

Open Days 2024:  Saturday, May 4
Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.