In July I found myself in Birmingham, Alabama, my first visit to the state. July in Alabama is peak heat and humidity. There were advisories and warnings. So, naturally, I looked for the green spaces on the city map and went outside (with my water, sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, and some sense of self-preservation).
The Birmingham Botanical Gardens—a 67.5-acre botanical refuge in the city with free admission and parking—were a highlight of my first visit to the “Magic City.” The Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument is also an essential stop (I’ll share a few pictures from that separately). I highly recommend both spots—and botanical gardens and National Park Service sites generally when you find yourself in a new location.
Flowers
No surprise, but my husband and I found a wide variety of flowers and plantings at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens: formal rose gardens, lily ponds, fountains, a vegetable garden, wildflowers, a conservatory (where it was even hotter and more humid inside), and more. Here’s a minuscule photographic sample from our introductory visit.
Pollinators
Thanks to all those flowers and plants, there were birds, bees, butterflies and moths all doing their thing in the gardens—pollinating. Plus, numerous dragonflies.
More Critters
We visited in the middle of a hot day, because that’s the time we had free, so the birds were fairly quiet. However, we saw and heard numerous Northern Cardinals, an Eastern Phoebe, Spotted Towhee, American Robin, and Carolina Wren, plus heard a White-eyed Vireo, which would have been a new bird for me, but since I couldn’t spy it way up in the trees, I didn’t add it to my life list.
These critters all looked like they were regulating their temperatures.
Shade
We also needed to regulate our temperatures, so sought out the garden’s shady trees and ferns. Green spaces, like botanical gardens and parks, can help lower the temperature in a city up to 9°F (according to the World Economic Forum), especially important during heatwaves. Let’s just say I was not as drippy with sweat once I moved from the open rose and formal gardens into the woodlands, bog garden, and fern glade. They were quite pleasant.
A Japanese Garden
Finally, we visited the formal Japanese Garden, a beautiful, relaxing spot. Walking through the traditional red torii, or “gateway to heaven” arch, marked our transition from the normal everyday world into a sacred place, and shouldn’t all of nature and green spaces be treated as sacred—granted our respect and devotion?
It would be lovely to visit this garden during spring cherry blossoms or fall maples…or any time of year with the changing colors and seasons. I’ll go back to the Birmingham Botanicals Gardens, though my husband suggests not when the heat index is in the triple digits. Though if I do, it will offer a soothing respite.
All photos copyright Alicia MacLeay
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