Savannah Garden Tour

This was my first trip to Savannah. I was bowled over by the squares, the architecture, the fountains, the wrought iron, the gardens, the art, the trees. The weather was fabulous; blue skies, low 80's, a pleasant breeze blew in just when it got a little too hot.  Perfect for those of us seeking a few days of warmth and sunshine after the brutal winter. 

Then there is the annual garden tour. The 2014 Savannah Garden Tour featured hidden gardens. Private, peaceful respites. Many with fountains or some water feature.

The Brennan Garden. 

The house from the street.

We were told Kevin Spacey stayed in this house while filming Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Demi Moore and Bruce Willis were former owners, and Jennifer Garner would like to own it.

We entered through a gate in the lane behind the house. I realize now that I took more pictures of the house than the garden.

the house from the rear garden

the house from the side garden

this vibrant iris was not labelled

The deck on the rear of the house. Beautiful shutters, inside and out.

Hibiscus

The tour is best done on foot. That way you can walk through the squares and peek through beautiful wrought iron gates, which of course I did. Frequently.

This little gem was not on the tour but I could not pass up taking its picture. How would you like this as your front gate?

The Galin Garden is across the street from the Brennan's. We entered through massive iron gates in a brick wall. The gates are an homage to a family member who loved camellias and grew them on 5,000 acres outside Savannah. The garden club member we see in this picture explained that some 900+ hours of work went into these hand crafted gates. In a delightful stage whisper she added that the gates are also a good security measure.

The brick wall facing the patio provided the backdrop for tropical palms, azaleas, camellias, and ferns.

And then around to the front of the house.

 There is no front yard but ground cover and short shrubs are enclosed by a graceful wrought iron fence.

The Tish Garden is surrounded by an ivy covered brick wall on three sides.

I didn't take a picture of the house from the street. This is a screen grab from google earth.

We entered through the gate and were greeted by a late blooming camellia.

This side of the house faces a grassy lawn. A family room is just beyond the patio doors. 

The family's active children use the grass yard for sports and who wouldn't enjoy a swim in this idyllic pool.

 The Tish's even landscaped their alley, or lane as they are called in Savannah.

There were eight other gardens on the tour. Here are some snippets.

Jasmine. It lives up to its reputation.

delphiniums in a tiny side garden

I'll cover more Savannah in another post.

All pictures by me except for the google earth screen grab.

Thanks for reading,
Linda Pakravan