Flower festivals and garden tours in bloom round the region

Just one deep breath outdoors – usually followed by a few sneezes – is evidence enough that spring has sprung in the South. It won’t be long before yellow pollen shrouds our city like dense Los Angeles smog, and Atlantans pine for air with particulate matter they can’t actually see.

Before the yellow fog rolls into town, I usually take at least one daytrip to watch our region’s trees and flowers wake from their winter slumber. That usually involves a nice hike in the mountains, but this year, I’m interested in one of the many garden tours or blossom festivals in full swing within a few hours’ drive from town.

Several festivals are already underway, and some include tours of private homes and gardens in full bloom.  Others will be held over the next few weeks.

Here’s a sample of festivals and garden tours to enjoy.  (If you prefer beer gardens or music fests to flower gardens, check out other upcoming events in the AJC’s list of various southeastern festivals here.)   

·         Tour the homes and gardens of 150 of Charleston’s Colonial and antebellum treasures from now until April 18 at the Charleston, SC Spring Festival of Houses and Gardens.

·         Macon, Ga. kicked off its International Cherry Blossom Festival over the weekend. The festival, which will run through the 29^th of March, is a feast for the eye as 300,000 Yoshino Cherry blooms fill the city. Festival-goers can also watch fireworks, air shows, parades and balloon fests in this blossoming street party.

·         The National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC takes place along the Tidal Basin and at various points along the National Mall. Enjoy the parade, blossom tours, blossom photo safaris the Smithsonian Kite Festival and many other events from March 28 through April 12 in our nation’s capital.

·         Take a journey to Columbus, Miss. now through April 5 for the 67^th annual Columbus Spring Pilgrimage, where you can tour antebellum mansions, gardens and historic churches.

·         Mobile’s Festival of Flowers begins March 25 and runs through the weekend. The festival is held on the campus of Providence Hospital and features blossoms from around the world and life-size landscapes, as well as a display by Mobile’s famous Bellingrath Gardens.

·         Conyers hosts its Cherry Blossom Festival this weekend at the Georgia International Horse Park, where thousands will gather to see the Yoshino Cherry blooms and take part in fun family activities.

·        It’s not a festival, but you can still enjoy the region’s beautiful flora on a hike through Providence Canyon State Park in Lumpkin, Ga. Spring Wildflower Day is Saturday, March 28. For more information, phone (229) 838-6202.

Other upcoming events…

·         The Huntsville Botanical Garden’s Spring Festival of Flowers – April 1-30.

·         Master Gardeners of Central Georgia Spring Home and Garden Show at the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Ag Center in Perry – April 4.

·          The Savannah Garden Exposition – April 17-19.

·         The 62nd annual North Carolina Azalea Festival in Wilmington, NC – April 1-5.

·         Sacred Heart Garden Festival and tours in Augusta, Ga. – April 24 – 26. 

·         The Wilson, NC Garden Tour – May 1-2.

Do you know of other festivals worth checking to see the season’s best blooms?  Where else do you go to celebrate spring?