When Randy and Wendy Ryals built their cabin home high atop a bluff above historic Springville, overlooking a picturesque valley below, they counted themselves lucky. When their oldest daughter wanted to get married there, they already knew it was a blessing, not realizing it would spark a brand new business for the couple and their family.
But once the daughter posted her wedding photos on social media, the response was immediate. “Where is that venue?,” people asked. The answer soon turned from “Mom and Dad’s home” to an idea that grew into Weddings at Cabin Bluff.
When the next daughter was to be married, she wanted a barn wedding. So, they built a red barn in October 2016, and it and the field overlooking the valley have been the setting for dozens upon dozens of weddings and events ever since.
“It just took off,” Wendy Ryals said.
With 30 years of experience in the medical meetings industry, the couple translated their experience as meeting planners to planning weddings. “We transitioned from doctors to brides,” she said.
From all-inclusive packages to a-la-carte services, Weddings at Cabin Bluff caters to the makings of an unforgettable day for wedding celebrations, larger corporate and “milestone” events with stunning, panoramic views from the Red Barn to the expansive field with room for hundreds of guests. From the bluff, you can see for 50 miles.
While the business has grown exponentially, family remains as its centerpiece. “We still treat it like our family. It’s basically our daughters and their husbands. It’s very much a family affair,” and their clients get that sense as well. “They get to know us,” she said.
The barn at Cabin Bluff
Along the way, these Springville natives have many a story to tell about memorable events held there. One was a couple who lived in London, who came to Springville to say ‘I do,’ bringing 50-60 Londoners with her. The wedding party and guests were staying in Birmingham, and it was noted that in London, they don’t have school buses.
For a slice of Americana, the guests arrived by big yellow school bus. British traditions were incorporated as well, the U.S. flag and the flag of Great Britain flying high out front. “It felt like a royal wedding,” Wendy said.
There have been carriage rides, conventional arrivals and departures and even a performance with fire since this venture began, she said, and the memories made there have been special. “We’ve met so many great families through this process and look forward to meeting many more in the future.”
And she looks forward to the comment she hears most often: ‘This wedding is the most beautiful wedding I have ever attended.’
Her reply is always the same, “I know, it really is.” Until the next weekend, of course.
Springville’s historic venue becomes site for new memories
Story by Leigh Pritchett Submitted Photos
Ryanne Noss of Trussville walked past a building in Springville and was instantly smitten with its history, character and ambiance.
So captivated, she was, that she bought it.
Since 2019, she and Scott Farris of Trussville – who actually spotted the structure first – have been co-owners of the Woodall Building, Inc. and have turned it into a venue for intimate weddings and parties.
The building is nearly as old as Springville, which was incorporated in late 1880.
Aaron Woodall constructed the building in 1881, Noss said. Originally, it housed a carriage assembly plant. Through the years, it has been a hardware store, arcade, gym, venue and restaurant.
Outdoor space is also an option
On St. Clair County’s website, the Woodall Building is listed among Springville’s historical structures and is described as “one of the oldest hardware stores.”
An event planner for years, Noss decided she wanted to do that full time and have her own venue for the events.
Six months of work went into readying the building to be a venue. Care was taken to maintain period style and colors. “We wanted to preserve history, … keep history alive,” Noss said.
Mackenzie Free, half of the photography duo, Mac & Meg Collective in Steele, said the historical nature and architecture of the building make it an ideal backdrop for pictures.
The building’s 1,500 square feet include a first-level reception area with dark, vintage wood flooring. Chandeliers hang from organza-draped rafters. Noss said the draped ceiling is reminiscent of the elegance in a Victorian hotel lobby. “I really think that makes it.”
The mezzanine between the first and second levels is the bridal suite, furnished with period pieces. The mezzanine has actually held as many as 14 bridesmaids at one time, Noss said.
On the second level is the groom’s suite, featuring a brick accent wall and leather furnishings. Noss has chosen an “old English hunting lodge theme” for that room.
Beyond that suite is the chapel area set off with classic iron railing. The chapel’s metal ceiling and string lights – coupled with vintage flooring and painted brick – create what Noss calls an “industrial and antique” atmosphere. The bricks, holding 140 years of history, were handmade in Springville.
Billows of natural light pour into the chapel through seven large windows, much to the delight of photographers.
“I think it is a great place for a wedding,” Free said.
The three windows at the front of the chapel are framed in distressed turquoise blue. Brides sometimes incorporate those windows as art elements in their wedding decor, Noss said.
To the rear of the building is a private, outdoor courtyard with stringed lights and a stage. The building and courtyard can accommodate 100-125 people. Noss said one event at a time is held at the Woodall Building so that she can devote to it her undivided attention.
The building opened for events on March 5, 2020. Ten days later, the global pandemic closed it for a time.
The first wedding was held in May 2020 and, by that August, Noss was seeing a definite uptick in business.
To reassure prospective brides, Noss guaranteed the return of deposits if pandemic measures required that the building be closed.
She also worked with brides whose original venues canceled because of the pandemic.
The interior of the historic building is perfect for weddings.
Two months before her wedding on April 24, 2021, Paige Windham of Trussville lost her wedding venue for a different reason – storm and water damage. Because the caterer was part of the rental package, she lost that, too.
She found the Woodall Building through an internet search. With Noss’ help and Noss’ contacts, Windham was able to get her wedding replanned in less than two days.
What attracted Windham to the Woodall Building was “… everything. The exterior is gorgeous. I love the flooring. The flooring was perfect,” Windham said on April 23 when she and husband-to-be Trent Furlow came to leave some wedding items.
The character and amenities of the Woodall Building were a perfect fit for the small wedding with family and friends Windham said she wanted from the beginning.
Windham added that she felt more like Noss’ friend than a client because Noss has an accommodating spirit and goes “above and beyond.”
From May 2020 to June 1, 2021, the Woodall Building was the site for 10 weddings, five sweet-16 parties, numerous other birthday parties, baby showers, after-rehearsal dinners and sundry events.
“Total, we had 36 events last year,” Noss said. “… I was proud of 36.”
As of late April this year, Noss already had another 36 booked for 2021.
She works to make certain weddings are “affordable, yet elegant.” Setup and cleanup are included in the venue’s rental fee.
She said the brides who rent the venue are not confined to just a couple of visits. Rather, they are welcome to come sit, think and visualize what they want for their day.
When a bride chooses the Woodall Building, she not only secures a venue, but also a wedding coordinator. After the bride selects the florist, caterer and other vendors and makes her wishes known to them, Noss takes over from there. Noss assumes the work of advance preparations and serves as the wedding day coordinator.
Brides, she explained, want to depend on someone who will make their wedding dreams come true, and Noss tries to be that person.
“I just love my brides. I just do! … I try to make it as stress-free as possible. … So far, we’ve had drama-free weddings. That’s what I like!”
Noss has been delighted with the reception her business has received locally. People who have held events at the building are so excited about it that they volunteer to help her with other events, she said.
“Springville has been absolutely fabulous,” Noss said.
Story by Linda Long Submitted photos and information from Griffins Jewelers, Weddings at Cabin Bluff and Pell City Flowers
Weddings look a little different these days as couples and wedding planners work around the challenges of COVID-19 to plan their special day.
To borrow a phrase from the Marines, couples are improvising, adapting and overcoming whatever the pandemic throws at them, seizing their special day.
No longer are we seeing the 200-plus wedding guests and oversized receptions with bands and sit-down dinners. Today, couples are embracing the idea of what is sometimes called the micro wedding. Guest lists number 30 to 50 people, generally family and close friends.
Technology is playing its part in 2021 weddings. Wedding photography and videography are more important than ever before. Couples are livestreaming their wedding ceremonies to folks who can’t attend due to space restrictions.
No one can say when weddings as we’ve always known them will return, but there’s one thing we know for sure – the bride will be beautiful, the groom handsome and at least one mom, maybe both, will shed happy tears.
Engagement and Wedding Rings
As the world emerges from COVID, couples realize just how important relationships are, said Michael Abernathy, vice president of Marketing and Sales for Griffins Jewelers in Pell City and Talladega.
“Couples are cherishing their special moments together more than ever before. They are marking these moments with quality diamond engagement rings that will become heirlooms for future generations. These diamond rings symbolize the heart and commitment of the relationship.”
Trusted jewelers like Abernathy play a critical role in helping make those moments in time last a lifetime. Ring selection traditionally follows trends, but the round brilliant cut diamond is timeless and always the most popular.
Diamonds are still the standard for engagement rings.
Round diamonds or fancy cut, like oval or pear, make beautiful solitaires or can be complemented nicely with diamond accents or halos. “Solitaires are very popular,” Abernathy said. “And composite clusters can often give the ring a bigger look for the money,” but some brides are trending toward vintage styles with colored gemstones like sapphire or ruby. Many Couples choose to design their own custom ring with the aid of (CAD) design. “Every piece of jewelry has a story,” he said. “Let us help you create yours.”
White gold is out. Yellow gold is in. That’s the word from Alisa Hutto at Agnew Jewelers in Trussville. “A year ago, we were selling completely all white. Now I’d say it’s 75 percent gold. That’s what the young people are trending toward, and they’re leaning more toward a solitaire as opposed to a halo style ring,” she said.
“I always say stick with a classic instead of following the trends when it comes to engagement rings because that’s something you’re going to have forever.
“I remember when I was trying to choose between an oval and a round stone. I loved both, but I chose round because it is the all-time classic. When I’m 80 years old, I want to look down at my hand and be just as happy with my stone as I was the day I got it.”
Hutto says there are those people who prefer gold no matter what and others who prefer white.
Ann Mitchell at Elite Jewelers in Trussville is also seeing yellow gold making “a strong comeback.”
Popular diamond shapes, she said, “are round, asscher and cushion but ovals, pear and marquis are beginning to trend. Styles range from a simple solitaire to lots of accent diamonds forming a halo around the center diamond to elaborate mountings with diamonds everywhere and even two stone engagement rings. Custom to heirloom, it’s an individual choice for each couple,” said Mitchell.
Looking at other wedding trends in 2021, Hutto said it seems that the groom is more often picking out the stone by himself, resulting in a choice of smaller, but more perfect stones.
“For a while, there was a tendency for the bride to come in with the groom and pick out her own stone. They would choose the larger stones, like two carats, but the boy, couldn’t afford that in a quality stone, so they had to settle for lesser quality in a larger stone.”
Hutto, who has been in the business of helping brides and grooms make this all-important purchase for 42 years said she works because she loves her job.
“And what woman wouldn’t love being surrounded by diamonds all day,” she laughed.
Diamonds are not trending in men’s wedding bands and gone are the days when men only had two choices – gold or silver.
Elite’s Mitchell said some grooms still prefer the traditional gold, platinum and silver bands, “but a more popular choice these days is an alternate design. There’s titanium, cobalt, meteorite and steel as well as ceramic and silicone and wood. I’ve even seen one carved from deer antlers,” she said.
Explaining that while some of these materials, like silicone, won’t last forever, “they still will withstand things like working on a car or going to the lake. Practicality wins out over sentiment.”
Flowers
Interesting is one word that describes wedding flower choices in 2021. Florists are seeing more of a demand for color, foliage, unusual blooms and even grasses. Bohemian or (boho), a style that’s been called a free-spirited mix of fun and unpredictability, is another way of describing this year’s bridal bouquets.
Cindy Luby at Pell City Flower & Gift shop says she’s seeing a lot of brides choosing bohemian for their wedding theme this year. “It’s the natural look with a lot of greenery and succulents,” she explained. “We’re also seeing blush pink make a big comeback.”
Hydrangeas and eucalyptus are also big this year, she said. “One thing we are seeing that is very different is a sand-colored rose. It’s very pretty in an odd way. But when we mix the sand rose with the blush pink, we have a very beautiful bouquet.”
Destination Weddings & Honeymoons
Due to COVID’s mandated crowd restrictions, many couples are keeping their weddings smaller. That observation came from Kathy Richards at Ash Travel in Springville.
“Because it’s just real difficult to plan a traditional wedding with a huge guest list, many couples are opting for a destination wedding,” she said. “Typically, the couple goes. The bridesmaids go and the parents. Maybe some siblings. So, what we have is about 20 people. The guests have their long weekend at a resort, and the couple stays on for the honeymoon.”
Richards added that many resorts now offer a videographer so they can livestream the wedding. “This way, everybody at home can be together and watch the ceremony. Later, the couple might plan the reception and have all the family and friends there.”
She is booking weddings only for Mexico, Jamaica and St. Lucia. “They are big enough to handle travelers in this pandemic situation, so I’m not sending people to the smaller islands. They’re just not as equipped to take care of it. And I want to absolutely be sure that I have contact with the tourism board and the government to make sure that everything I need taken care of with my people and my families – that they can handle it all.
One bonus to the destination wedding is easier planning and less work, Richards said. “It’s much easier to have a wedding at one of the resorts rather than at home. The bride gets on the phone with the resort’s wedding department. She tells them everything she wants – from flowers to candles to music to food. The resort takes care of it all.”
Some of the higher-priced properties offer these services free of charge. “You must limit your guests to 10 and book your reservation for seven nights. Also, you must pay extra if you’ve chosen music as part of the service.”
Closer to home, Richards said, the beach is always a favorite destination.
Southern souls start longing for spring in January, and by February, they check daffodil rows each day to see if they have awakened from winter sleep and begun stretching toward the sun.
Soon, rows of golden joy grace tended yards and old homeplaces where house and barn no longer stand. March and April find trees on Beaver and Bald Rock mountains leafing out and underneath the trees, native azaleas blossom pink and white. Rural folk used to call these azaleas, “mountain honeysuckle” or “bush honeysuckle.”
Azaleas line the walk
Azaleas. This springtime glory of the South brings myriad colors through quiet boulevards of old towns and acres of gardens tended by horticulturists. This beauty calls to mind Mobile’s Bellingrath Gardens, 283 miles from Pell City, and Callaway Gardens, 118 miles from Pell City. However, within five miles of the St. Clair County Courthouse in Pell City, Butch and Martha Walker’s unique house sits on reclaimed strip-mine land planted with over 400 azaleas.
Butch’s azaleas and seasonal plants complement the home designed by St. Clair County native Randy Vaughan, who grew up in Eden. After graduating from Pell City High School in 1975, he went to Auburn. “He was studying architecture, and this was his senior class project at Auburn,” Butch recounted. “He graduated No. 1 in his class.”
Since then, Vaughan has enjoyed a successful career as an architect. He noted that he had worked in nearly every scale of architecture, from custom-designed private residences to large-scale projects.
As a student, Vaughan designed a two-level home for the Walkers with the great room, dining room, and kitchen on the lower level and three bedrooms and two baths on the upper level. “We both really liked it when we first saw it,” Martha said, with Butch adding, “We were debating whether to build in front of this strip mine cut or behind it, and Randy decided to put the house on piers and span the cut. Originally, it was open underneath, but later we closed it in and poured a floor.”
Butch and Martha have added two upper-level rooms – a sunroom across the back and a living room across the front. The focal points of the living room are Butch’s grand piano and the arched double doors, which were a serendipitous find. Martha spotted the doors at Mazer’s in Birmingham and told Butch about them.
“I worked just over at O’Neal (Steel),” Butch recalls, “so I went over there at lunch, and they wanted a big price for it. So, I asked the guy if he thought they’d take less. He said, ‘I don’t know, but this guy riding up on the cart can tell you.’ So, he pulled up and I asked him, and he said, ‘Would you pay so-and-so?’ I said, ‘No,’ and I told him how much I’d give. He said, ‘Well, let him have it for that.’ So that’s how we got the doors for about 75% less than he was asking.”
With her eye for color and detail, Martha has made their home a warm and welcoming one for family and friends. Whether it be a Sunday afternoon of music in the living room or a holiday meal at the dining table, guests are made to feel at home.
Back to his roots
Butch had finished college and served in Vietnam when he and Martha Kirkland married in 1974. They lived in two or three different places, but eventually moved into Butch’s parents’ home on Highway 174. Butch and Martha’s property lies not far from his parents’ original 23 acres, where their son, Kirk, lives with his family and enjoys about over 100 azaleas Butch has planted there.
In some of his college work, Butch studied horticulture. When asked how he became interested in native azaleas, he replied, “My cousin in Mobile, Glen Burnham, collected them. He and a friend of his had gone all over the Southeast collecting and hybridizing. He had azaleas at his house, and when they were in bloom, the traffic would be backed up for miles.”
“He had some connection with Bellingrath Gardens, because once when we went down for a visit, he said if he had known we were coming, he could have gotten you in to see the gardens free,” Martha recalled. “Glen Burnham also designed a portion of Disney World’s gardens.”
Early planting
Before he married Martha, Butch had planted his first azaleas on the homeplace where he grew up. When he and Martha moved into their Vaughan-designed home in 1981, Butch pruned back those plants, dug them up, and moved them to the reclaimed strip-mine property. Now over 50 years old, those azaleas still burst into variegated glory every spring.
The annual show of colors traveled much before taking root in Pell City. “I’ve dug them out of the woods, and I’ve bought ’em out of Georgia and Mississippi and south Alabama. And one of my cousins worked for T.R. Miller’s lumber company down in Brewton, Ala., and I have some transplanted from the Brewton area.”
Some of his 400 plants result from Butch’s propagation of azaleas. “I’ve done some by cutting, but I do mostly by seed, and that’s a long, drawn-out process because you’re talking about three or four years from seed to bloom.”
Another way to propagate is tissue culture, which Butch describes briefly. “It’s done under sterile conditions. You take a small piece of the plant – the tissue – and put it in a medium under sterile conditions, and it will start multiplying and keep on multiplying. From one little piece, you can get thousands. You keep dividing it. I’ve never done it cause it’s not something you can do at your kitchen table. I do have some plants from tissue culture that I bought out of Pennsylvania.”
With tissue culture, the resulting azaleas’ blossom color will be exactly like the tissue donor plant. However, seedlings can result in myriad colors depending on how cross pollination has occurred.
“With seedlings, you don’t know what colors you’re gonna get until they bloom. One year, I did some cross pollinating and collected the seeds and planted them in my basement. When seedlings have two leaves, you can transplant them into individual cells. I had done that – had 600 seedlings in cells, and they were up about an inch or more tall. Well, we had a nice warm day, and I thought, ‘I’m gonna set them out and get them a little more light and warmth.’ I did. And out of the 600, I killed 599, but the one that survived was a keeper.” Butch aptly named that azalea, “Walker’s Survivor.” When in full bloom, it caused one friend to say, “It’s a confection, whipped cream and peaches.”
“Some people might say we lead a boring life,” Martha comments, “but we are workers and do a lot of work around here. Our life has been an adventure in hard work.”
One of those adventures came when Butch decided a tree limb needed to go. “Well, this was in 2011. I was walking back to the barn, and this tree limb was hanging out there – and it could have stayed there a hundred years without hurting anything. Well, I looked at it and decided it was time for it to come down. So, I got my ladder and put it on the tree. Got my chainsaw, and I went up and I cut. When it fell, it sprung back, and I fell 15 feet, head down. I held onto the ladder, and that kept me straight and probably kept me from getting badly broken up. I had thrown my saw when I saw what was happening and it landed on the ground still running.
“After I could breathe again, I got up and turned the saw off and came to the house. I turned the fan on and sat in my recliner a few minutes. Then I got in my car and drove over to my neighbor’s, and he drove me to the emergency room over on Hospital Drive in Pell City, and a helicopter took me to Birmingham.”
“They called me at Kennedy School,” Martha added, “and said, ‘Mrs. Walker, you need to leave as soon as possible. Your husband has taken a significant fall.’ I said, ‘What!?’ And they said, ‘We are airlifting him out now, even as we are speaking.’ And I told the school receptionist, ‘Bye. I’m gone!’
Martha could see the helicopter whirling ahead of her as she drove to the hospital. “We finally got to see him and Butch really looked awful. They were trying to pull his arm back in place.”
Fortunately, Butch fared better than Humpty Dumpty did in his garden wall crackup, for the doctors got Butch put back together after a five-hour surgery on his wrist. Butch wore a cast for five weeks, then went to physical therapy.
He asked the therapist if he would be able to play the piano again, and she thought he was pulling the old piano joke: “Doc, will I be able to play the piano?” And the Doc says, “Yes.” And the patient says, “That’s good! I wasn’t able to play it before!”
When Butch convinced her that he indeed played the piano, the therapist said, “That will be good therapy.” So, with short periods at his grand piano, he started playing the Southern gospel songs that he had loved playing all his life.
Some of those old songs may have flitted through Butch’s mind as he fell from the tree – “I’ll Fly Away,” or “Precious Memories,” or “I’m in the Glory Land Way.” However, one of the first ones he played after the fall must have been “Precious Lord Take My Hand,” for Butch and Martha agree that God’s hand was with them during that event and throughout their lives.
After some months, Butch was back to his gardening and propagating azaleas, and from early spring to late autumn, his and Martha’s place is awash in color by blossom and foliage. A place of peace and contentment. Home.
As anyone who has ever tried to grow a plant knows, there is a science to it.
Local experts offer the following advice for creating and maintaining attractive landscapes and successful vegetable gardens.
The first three tips are so crucial that, together, they determine whether a plant will live through the first year.
Do not assume the soil is good. St. Clair County soil may contain clay or be compacted. Topsoil, compost and a supplement specific to that plant are likely to be necessary. (For soil-testing supplies and direction, check with St. Clair’s Alabama Cooperative Extension Service office, St. Clair County Soil and Water Conservation or St. Clair Farmer’s Cooperative.)
Be mindful of moisture requirements. Each week, plants need at least one inch of moisture that soaks down to the roots. If a plant dries out completely one time, it dies. Overwatering is just as detrimental as underwatering.
Place the plant in a hole that is neither too large nor too small.
Bury the plant to the same soil line as it had in the container from which it came. As a general rule, it is better to have the plant a little above the soil line than too deep into the soil.
Choose plants that are right for the climate zone. St. Clair County falls within zone “7” and “7B” of the climate map for plants. Plants acclimated to one zone might not thrive long in another. For example, a West Coast plant is not likely to survive in the South.
Select a plant that, at maturity, will fit the space allotted for it.
Choose a plant that is right for the amount of sunshine or shade it will experience. A plant meant for shade will not do well in direct sunlight and vice versa.
Distance plants from the house or building. When the plant matures, the homeowner should be able to walk between it and the house.
Replace bark or straw regularly. Bark lasts two to three years. Straw breaks down quickly and has to be replaced twice a year. Other possible “mulches” include shale, pea gravel, river rock and brick pieces.
Use weed barrier cloth and pre-emerge herbicide to prevent growth of weeds and germination of unwanted seeds. Weed barrier cloth and pre-emerge herbicide are especially needed with rock-type mulches.
Research how to cultivate and harvest vegetables and herbs. Successful vegetable gardening comes with knowledge and experience. It may take years to develop the expertise and to discern what grows best in the garden area.
Purchase plants from a nursery or garden center. Employees of nurseries and garden centers are knowledgeable about plants, trees, herbicides, insecticides and fungicides and can give advice on landscape issues and plant deficiencies. The information they provide is specific to the climate zone in which the homeowner lives. Nurseries and garden centers offer a large selection of trees, plants, fertilizers, supplements, bulk materials (mulch, sand, gravel etc.), statuary and decorative stones for pathways and hardscapes.
Understand that plants new to the market come with limited information. New plants are studied only three years before they are put on the market. Therefore, their growth potential beyond that may not be known initially, and they might outgrow the space allowed for them.
Buy mulch and other bulk material by the truckload. Buying by the bag is more expensive.
Periodically inspect plants and trees in the yard to see if they remain healthy. Lichens growing on a plant, for instance, can indicate poor health.
Learn how and when to prune each kind of plant. (Pruning a crape myrtle too severely is called “crape murder!”)
Editor’s Note:Sources for this story were Crawford Nursery, Odenville; Hazelwood’s Greenhouses and Nursery, Pell City; Landscapes by Shelly, Pell City; Warren Family Garden Center and Nursery, Moody.
In 2020, thoughts and energy turned to the outdoors in a big way.
Nature provided an outlet for exercise, enjoyment and escape.
Landscaping not only was an avenue for creativity, but also an opportunity to revive underutilized sections of the yard. Some projects even turned outdoor areas into comfortable, functional living spaces.
All this activity and renewed interest made 2020 a busy year for plant nurseries, garden centers and landscape artists.
Crawford has a large layout of greenhouses full of a variety of plants for any need.
“People who never gardened before wanted to do it,” said Michelle Warren, horticulturist with Warren Family Garden Center and Nursery in Moody. “… We definitely had a huge number of new people from all over Alabama to come see us. … There was a huge uptick in sales from spring right up to fall. … I think any garden center could say that.”
Geneva Jones of Crawford Nursery in Odenville agreed. Because people were home more, they devoted time to sprucing up their yard. She expects that to continue in 2021.
“It’s going to be interesting to see what happens this year,” said Will Crawford, owner of Crawford Nursery.
Another trend that came as a bit of a surprise was the surge in vegetable and herb gardening.
“That was a big trend last spring and through the summer,” said Warren. “… That was a big trend we didn’t expect.”
Warren believes fruit trees and blueberries are likely to see lots of interest this year.
Making a plan
Gardens have a specific purpose, whether it is to beautify, to attract birds or butterflies, or to reclaim some dead space.
Every successful landscaping project begins with a plan, say the experts.
They suggest photographing the area to be landscaped to give nursery or garden center employees an idea of the layout. Some nurseries and garden centers may even draw a landscaping plan for customers. These plans incorporate the customers’ wishes, while giving attention to essential details, such as the amount of sun or shade, available space, and growth potential of each plant.
John Hazelwood, owner of Hazelwood’s Greenhouses and Nursery in Pell City, said a landscaping plan also should take into account other plants and trees in the yard and the impact they will have on the new plants. He gave as an example water oaks and willow oaks, both of which are “heavy feeders.” Their presence can deplete the soil of water, fertilizer and nutrients that other plants need.
Emerald Green Arborvitae and Sky Pencil Holly at Hazelwood’s
Once the landscaping plan is drawn, the designer or employees at the nursery or garden center should be consulted if plant substitutions are necessary, said Hazelwood and daughter Shelly Martin of Pell City, owner and manager of Landscapes by Shelly. If the wrong plant is substituted, it may outgrow its allotted space and disrupt the whole design.
Hazelwood said homeowners can install landscapes themselves. They just need to be able to read landscape plans to know which plant goes where. Labeling is extremely important. The plants should be labeled before and after placement so that the homeowner knows what each one is.
Going for less
In the early 2000s, landscaping concepts centered on layering and mass planting, Martin said. In the past five or six years, the theme has been on the minimal and the contemporary, concentrating on the use of specific plants for a certain effect or focal point.
Two words – “low maintenance” – describe the kind of landscapes individuals have been wanting lately.
“Low maintenance is a big thing,” Jones said.
Hazelwood added, “They would really like no maintenance, but there’s no such thing.”
Even if the landscape is considered low maintenance, Martin said periodic attention is still necessary. “The landscape will look only as good as the maintenance.”
Modern landscapes, Jones explained, are “open designs, where everything is not so crowded. They use a lot of boxwoods and (ornamental) grasses and things like that.”
As for boxwoods, Jones noted that those landscape staples from the past – in addition to needlepoint hollies and dwarf yaupon – are receiving renewed interest.
Hazelwood said japonica and sasanqua camellia also “are hot right now.”
Homeowners are particularly interested in dwarf variations of plants because they think these will always remain small and need little to no pruning. Nonetheless, Martin said dwarf plants can grow to be sizable; they just may take longer to do it.
Martin noted that landscaping does not last forever. It will need to be redone periodically.
“Your landscape is basically like painting your house,” she said. The landscape should be revamped every eight to 10 years, and plants that require heavy pruning should be replaced after 12 to 15 years.
Seeking variety
In addition to low maintenance, other highly requested landscape features are colors and textures.
Martin said color and fragrance lend an air of welcome to a home.
Warren and Martin said golds, purples, greens, blues and chartreuse (such as Limelight hydrangea and Little Lime hydrangea) have been the colors of choice.
Ornamental grasses – pink muhly grass, adagio grass, dwarf fountain grass, carex, Sassy Grass, etc. – give texture to a landscape, said Jones.
A good landscaping design offers beauty for all seasons, Martin said.
By using a variety of plants, “you can design a landscape that has color, something happening year-round,” said Jones.
For example, a landscape including common azaleas (bloom once in spring), gardenias, Encore azaleas (bloom spring, summer and fall), hydrangeas (bloom in summer), camellia japonica (bloom in February) and camellia sasanqua (bloom around November) would provide bursts of color all year, Jones said.
Encore azaleas, Hazelwood said, “bloom more than once a year. … There are 33 varieties of them now.” In winter, flowering kale, flowering cabbage, pansies, snapdragons and sweet Williams show their colors.
Knock Out roses (a rose bush that blooms for months) have been and continue to be in much demand, Hazelwood said. “I don’t know how many thousands of those we have sold. They bloom their heads off, and they bloom all summer long.”
This year, the new Petite Knock Out roses are expected to be popular, said Jones and Crawford.
Hazelwood said new plant selections are being produced continuously to keep up with changes in trends. “The breeders are constantly striving to come up with something new.” Hydrangeas are a case in point. “There are so many of those, it’s unbelievable.”
Creating living space
One of the new trends in landscaping is hardscapes. Hardscapes are gardens, pathways, even outdoor living spaces.
“I love hardscapes,” said Martin, who was working on two such projects at the time of this interview. “I love to use natural stone to create fire pits and patios and retaining walls, … to create for the homeowner a secret garden.”
Shelly Martin tells her workers where some stones will go around a new fire pit on Logan Martin Lake.
Hardscapes might incorporate a swimming pool, pond, stand-alone fountain, wall fountain. A hardscape could be an outdoor room, so to speak, for grilling, dining, entertaining or warming by a fire.
“I love to design swimming pools and outdoor kitchens,” Martin said. “… They are fun spaces to create.”
During 2020, the number of hardscape projects she designed and installed grew exponentially. “I really saw a huge increase in the hardscape activity. We did more hardscapes last year than we have ever done,” Martin said.
She and her crew locally installed approximately 30 landscapes featuring hardscapes and designed more than that for builders and landscapers in the Birmingham area.
Thinking commercially
The concept for commercial landscaping is somewhat different from residential landscaping, Martin said.
Commercial landscapes need to have appeal, plus longevity. Junipers, dwarf yaupon and Chinese hollies are some of the possibilities, coupled with maples that give beautiful fall color.
Choosing the right trees is important in the commercial setting to avoid an invasive root system that eventually bucks the sidewalk, Martin said.
The landscaping plan also has to consider the clientele of the business. If, for instance, children will be going into the building, thorny plants would not be suggested.
On the other hand, thorny plants would be good for blocking access to a ledge, Martin said.
With commercial landscapes, the aim is toward beauty, functionality and durability without creating a “maintenance nightmare.”
