Director of Communications
amanda.murphy@tn.gov
615-741-9010
Senior Communications Manager
jill.kilgore@tn.gov
615-927-1320
Communications Manager
Alli.Lapps@tn.gov
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Knoxville residents share their magnificent gardens with the public to celebrate the Dogwood Arts Festival, a month-long celebration of music, art and natural beauty, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 22 and noon to 5 p.m. April 23.
Each one is unique in design and offers a variety of plant material and special features. Participants can take a tour of these gardens for free, though a $5 donation on-site is suggested.
FEATURED GARDENS
[1] DR. ALAN SOLOMON
2705 Riverside Drive, Knoxville 37914
Included in the Smithsonian Institution’s Archives of American Gardens, GATOP [God’s Answer To Our Prayers] features many hundreds of botanical specimens such as conifers and hollies, extensive displays of wildflowers, perennials, and groundcovers, as well as numerous water features and large marble outcroppings. Complimenting this unusual garden are stainless-steel, iron, bronze, and stone sculptures.
[2] BAXTER GARDENS
3901 Sam Cooper Road, Knoxville 37918
Baxter Gardens sits atop Black Oak Ridge in Fountain City, with initial plantings installed 25 years ago, in 1992. Since that time, over 20 acres of gardens have been designed, landscaped and planted on the ridge top. There are multiple gardens with various themes and plantings, but the Dogwood Ramble and the Azalea Garden are the stars in April. There are over 300 Dogwood trees throughout the property, with 30+ varieties featured in the Dogwood Ramble. These include Cornus Florida and Cornus Kousa trees, shrubs, hybrids, dwarfs, and weeping specimens, arranged along a creek which pools at a Gazebo down the walking path. The Azalea Garden is just beyond the Gazebo and is comprised of over 300 Azalea, Rhododendron, Camelia, and Mountain Laurel specimens. Multiple colors and varieties of Azalea are represented, including evergreen, deciduous, American and Korean. The plantings are arranged along a stone path and steps, with benches and fountains through the garden.
[3] SAVAGE GARDEN
3237 Garden Drive, Knoxville TN 37918
Exactly 100 years ago this year, Arthur Savage began his garden in Fountain City. Inspired by a visit to his native England, he began building stone walls, ponds, arbors, and multiple follies. Savage became known as "the father of rock gardening in Knoxville." The garden is quirky and eclectic, combining multiple themes. Although the main arbors and pagoda reflect a Japanese influence, the latter is topped with a "Dutch Girl" weather vane and there are two "Irish" water towers. After many years of extensive restoration, including rebuilding stone walls and borders, constructing faithful copies of the original arbors and gates, and planting thousands of trees, shrubs, and perennials, Savage Garden is once again the kind of magical place envisioned by Arthur Savage. The springtime features hydrangeas, wildflowers, and bulbs, as well as several state and county champion trees. Savage Garden is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Dogwood Arts, presented by ORNL Federal Credit Union, is a 501(c)3 organization with a mission to promote and celebrate our region’s art, culture, and natural beauty.
For more information, visit www.dogwoodarts.com or call 865-637-4561.
# # #
Director of Communications
amanda.murphy@tn.gov
615-741-9010
Senior Communications Manager
jill.kilgore@tn.gov
615-927-1320
Communications Manager
Alli.Lapps@tn.gov