ANNUAL ROSE SHOW TO BE HELD AT BELLINGRATH GARDENS AND HOME

Apr 18th, 2004

April 1, 2004 - Mobile, AL - On Saturday, April 24 and Sunday, April 25, the Mobile Rose Society will present its 49th Annual Rose Show entitled, "Walking Through Bellingrath Gardens," in the Bellingrath Gardens and Home cafe.

Rose enthusiasts are encouraged to attend. Bring your best blooms and enter them in the show. Mobile Rose Society members will provide containers and tags, as well as assist with identification of all roses entered in the show. Additionally, rose seminars will be held and books and materials on rose culture and rose bushes will be sold. Admission to the show is free, but regular admission will be charged for those wanting to visit the Gardens. Hours for the event are 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. both days. Garden hours are 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

The Mobile Rose Society is made up of amateur rose growers and was founded shortly after World War II by Lou Costa, the Garden Editor of the Mobile Press Register. Walter Bellingrath was one of the founding members.

The Bellingrath Rose Garden holds over 2000 roses with more than 75 varieties being grown at one time. All-American Rose selections are tested here each year before their release on the open market.

Tickets can be purchased at the gardens. Group rates are available for groups of 20 or more. In addition to gardens tickets, combination tickets are available featuring a tour of the Bellingrath Museum Home and a cruise aboard the Southern Belle River Cruiser. The Bellingrath Home, featured on the A&E series, "America’s Castles," is filled with priceless antiques and furnishings. The Southern Belle river cruise features a scenic tour of Fowl River. For information and group rates, call (251) 973-2217 or visit our website, www.bellingrath.org.

Founded by Walter and Bessie Bellingrath in 1932, Bellingrath Gardens and Home, is one of the top public gardens in the United States. Known for its southern charm and unsurpassed beauty, the gardens have long been a treasure to the Mobile community and a favorite of tourists and garden lovers worldwide.