Spectacular Private Gardens Open to the Public for Two Days Only

Friday, June 24th: 10AM-5PM & Saturday, June 25th: 10AM-5PM (last entry at 4PM)

The public is invited to experience three spectacular private gardens this Friday and Saturday at the Dogwood Arts Summer Featured Gardens event, June 24th & 25th. The event will feature Savage Garden in North Knoxville, the Anderson Estate in South Knoxville, and Mary’s Garden in West Knoxville. These remarkable properties exhibit the best that summer has to offer with extensive plant collections, breathtaking views, and beautiful summer blooms. Tours are self-guided, although Master Gardeners and Dogwood Arts staff will be on-site to answer questions. A $5 cash donation per garden is suggested. These gardens require walking on uneven paths and are not handicap accessible; comfortable or hiking shoes are recommended. Since these are private residences, there is limited on-site parking; guests will be admitted on a first-come-first-served basis.

Anderson Estate: Owners Fred & Sandra Anderson

Free parking & shuttle to the garden from Sevier Heights Baptist Church (3140 Maloney Rd, Knoxville, TN 37920)

• Set on a hilltop overlooking the Great Smoky Mountains, Anderson Estate is a plant collectors garden. This young, but ever-expanding garden, features an extensive hosta collection with over 500 varieties and also includes a wide assortment of azaleas, camellias, rhododendrons, conifers, and a native plant display garden. The kitchen garden with 11 raised vegetable beds, fruit trees, and berries is home to an apiary. The property also includes a cemetery from the 1800’s, an Enchanted Forest, and a professionally landscaped frog haven with a bubbling brook and waterfall.

Savage Garden: Owners Bill Dohm & Patty Cooper

3237 Garden Drive, Knoxville, TN 37918

• Savage Garden was inspired by Arthur Savage’s visit to his native England. Upon his return, he began building stone walls, ponds, arbors, and multiple follies. 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. Early Summer highlights hundreds of blooming hydrangeas, native azaleas, and countless perennials. Savage Garden is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.

Mary’s Garden: Owners Michael & Mary Bates

513 Altamira Drive, Knoxville, TN 37934​

• Affectionately named by her husband Michael, Mary’s Garden began in 1993 and was set on a level site surrounding their home which included many native dogwoods. Over the years, the garden has grown to include many roses and perennials in the sunny front and side yards. A variety of hydrangeas and woodland plants fill the back gardens. Lilies and roses abound in the summer garden. The hydrangea collection includes both big-leaf (Hydrangea macrophylla, mopheads and lacecaps) and smooth hydrangeas (Hydrangea arborescens) such as ‘Annabelle’. There are several Panicle hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata) which include older varieties such as ‘PeeGee’ and Tardiva along with newer varieties like ‘Limelight’, ‘Quickfire’, ‘Firelight’ and the new compact hydrangea, ‘Bobo’. The explosion of blooms at peak season is glorious!

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.