Horticulturist Ken Johnson organized a trip for his crew to visit Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Georgia earlier this week.

"The purpose of this trip is to give my staff, along with some participants in the Planning Department, an introduction of a broader expanse of what the horticulture industry is about," said Johnson. "Callaway Gardens is an extremely large botanical garden located in Pine Mountain, Georgia and it offers many different facets of the industry. We'll see a botanical center, a natural center, a butterfly conservatory and if it is sunny, they should be flying today. Today is a perk for a lot of their hard work and for those who are really interested in this part of the industry, I hope they will get a better understanding of what is out there in the world as far as horticultural opportunities go."

It would have been difficult to take this trip in the spring with all the work that the Horticulture Department would be doing to beautify our city. That obviously is a very busy time of year for the employees at Callaway Gardens as well. Although the Gardens are dormant now, they still offer a great opportunity to see what horticulturists and landscapers are doing.

Callaway Gardens opened in May, 1952. What began as a five-mile scenic drive has now evolved into a premier Georgia golf and spa resort that offers a wide range of services, attractions, and experiences for all who visit.

Robin Lake Beach offers the largest manmade, white sand beach in the world. It stretches a mile around 65-acre Robin Lake. The Beach is the summer home to Florida State University's Flying High Circus. They perform seven amazing shows weekly under the "big top" adjacent to the Beach.

Callaway offers approximately 1500 hotel rooms which range from rustic cabins to chalets. There are a number of scheduled activities and classes for children which affords parents/adults an opportunity to enjoy the spa, golf and many other offerings within the resort. Some of the special events held at Callaway include the Masters Ski Tournament on the lake in the summer and the Fantasy in Lights holiday tradition.

Horticulturist Ken Johnson was employed by Callaway Gardens for ten years. He began in 1980 as a production manager. In 1984, he was promoted to the position of Director of the Botanical Center.

Upon arrival, the group was met by the Director of Education, Patricia Collins. She has been with the Gardens for 42 years. She provided a tour of the Discovery Center.

Ken Johnson with Patricia Collins, Director of Education, at Callaway Gardens' Virginia Hand Callaway Discovery Center.
Matt Morgan shown in the background.

The Virginia Hand Callaway Discovery Center is a 35,000-square-foot facility comprised of several buildings. It provides a place to get an overview of the offerings of Callaway Gardens' 13,000 acres. The group from Prattville watched the film "Time and the Gardens" which illustrated the evolution of the gardens. The Discovery Center also offers an education wing, a lecture hall, a museum and exhibit hall, the gift shop, and Discovery Café. The Birds of Prey show is held at the Discovery Center as well.

The spectacular view from the back deck at the Discovery Center.

Ken and his group moved on to the John A. Sibley Horticultural Center to observe the greenhouses while listening to Production Manager Brian Karotz talk about their procedures, greenhouse temperatures, plant varieties, and even pesticides. Each year, Callaway grows 90,000-100,000 chrysanthemums. While producing plants and flowers for their own gardens, they also grow for their annual plant show. Ken and his staff have done the same thing, growing more plants from seed than are needed so that they might sell the overage at CityFest this year. The proceeds can then be used to replenish their seed stock for the year to come.

Everyone listening intently as Karotz explains why some plants are held in the cooler as opposed to outside or in the greenhouse.

Brian shows the group where plants and flowers will be grown outside in the coming months as temperatures allow.

Ken talking to staff member Ray Thomas about his experience at Callaway Gardens inside the Sibley Center.

The Ida Cason Memorial Chapel is set in the midst of the woodlands around Falls Creek Lake. The stained glass windows depicting the forest in a progression of seasons are breathtaking. The group enjoyed the walk down to the chapel, a tranquil respite inside, and then an enjoyable trek back to their awaiting bus to dine at the Mountain Creek Inn's Plant Room restaurant.

Outside the chapel.

Stained glass inside the chapel.

The Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center held much fascination for the group. Entering tropical temperatures, cameras fogged up and jackets had to be removed. When the sun is shining, as many as 1,000 tropical butterflies, representing more than 50 different species, fly around the glass-enclosed conservatory. The conservatory was replanted in 2005 which means that a brand new ecosystem is in place there. The animal population and the plants will grow and change dramatically over time.

A butterfly flying towards the camera.

This beauty landed just inches away from the photographer.

At Mr. Cason's Vegetable Garden, the group was exposed to 7.5 acres of demonstration garden space. This garden is the southern setting for the popular PBS television show, The Victory Garden. Although it is named the Vegetable Garden, it includes areas for muscadine grapes, other fruits, herbs, flowers, an All American Trials garden, composting area and much more. After walking through the setting for The Victory Garden, the group ventured further down the path, across a parking lot and onto Robin Lake Beach.

Group photo under the Victory Garden South sign.

The beach around Robin Lake with the "big top" shown in the background.

During the journey home to Prattville, the entire group talked about what they enjoyed most. Ray Thomas, Antoine Love, Leslie Redmond and Jessica Causey particularly enjoyed the Butterfly Center and all it had to offer. They learned about the stages of metamorphosis, the origins of the butterflies and the need for tropical temperatures and plant life to sustain the butterfly population at Callaway. Alisa Morgan enjoyed the entire experience of learning what horticulture staff does both in our city and in a business like Callaway. Kay Morris was impressed with and most interested in their greenhouse operations because that is her current function with City of Prattville. It was interesting to see the similarities and differences. Ben Stein enjoyed the tranquility of the beach as he absorbed all that he had been exposed to that day. Matt Morgan learned about two new plants that he really liked. They are two species of the Heliconia Rostrata and were featured in the Sibley Center. And lastly, Deven Peek said that he spent time scrutinizing Callaway's hanging baskets in the old conservatory. His particular interest was their use of Netafim drippers to irrigate their pots. He found it interesting to see the difference in what they do in comparison to the City of Prattville.

Johnson felt that the day's mission was accomplished. It certainly proved to be an interesting, hands-on approach in exposing his staff to the creativity, alternative options, and differing techniques of horticulture as an industry.

More Photos

Map of Callaway Gardens (click for larger view)

For more about Callaway Gardens, please visit their website.