Spring at Hills & Dales Estate in Georgia

Nestled in the rolling landscape of LaGrange, Georgia, Hills & Dales Estate is one of America’s most enchanting historic gardens, and nowhere is its beauty more evident than in spring. The 35-acre landscape reflects the deeply personal vision of three amazing women: Sarah Coleman Ferrell, who began the garden in 1841, Ida Cason Callaway, who revised the garden when the house was rebuilt and enlarged, and Ida’s daugher-in-law, Alice Hand Callaway who inherited the home with her husband in 1936. Like the two women before her, Alice developed a deep connection to the garden, and spent sixty-two years as its steward. All three women loved horticulture and collected plants, filling the gardens with unique specimens.

Below: Sarah Coleman Ferrell, Ida Cason Callaway, Alice Hand Callaway (photos courtesy of Hills & Dales)

As winter recedes, Hills and Dales awakens in a carefully orchestrated progression of bloom, offering visitors a sensory experience that is both intimate and grand. Spring begins quietly here, with the earliest bulbs pushing through the soil. The flowers are framed by boxwood hedges that form the structural backbone of the garden, enclosing a series of outdoor rooms that reveal themselves one by one. Within these green walls, daffodils, crocuses, and early tulips create soft drifts of color, their forms echoing the garden’s underlying geometry while softening its edges. The interplay between structure and seasonality is one of the defining characteristics of Hills and Dales, and spring is when this balance feels most alive.

boxwood hedges form the structural framework of the garden

Sarah Coleman Ferrell created series of six terraces with images of a butterfly, circles, crosses, a bunch of grapes, and slogans such as “God Is Love” embroidered in dwarf boxwood.

The mansion was designed in a “Georgian Italian” style, Clad in white stucco, stone trim, and a red tile roof, it proudly commands the hilltop and crowns the gardens.

The interior of the house is beautifully decorated with arrangements from the garden created by greenhouse manager/floral designer David Brown.

As the season deepens, camellias and azaleas take center stage, transforming the garden into a tapestry of vibrant color. Masses of these beloved Southern shrubs erupt in shades of coral, rose, lavender, and white, their blossoms forming luminous clouds beneath the dappled shade of tall trees. Planted in sweeping drifts along pathways and within the garden rooms, azaleas blur the boundaries between formal design and naturalistic planting, softening the rigid lines of hedges and terraces. Their fleeting yet spectacular display captures the essence of spring at Hills and Dales—abundant, ephemeral, and deeply evocative of place.

a beautiful stone fountain sits on an axis with the mansion and a large circular reflecting pool on the terrace below.

early april is prime bloom time for the estate’s azalea collection.

Perhaps the most captivating aspect of Hills and Dales in spring is its sense of sequence. The garden unfolds gradually, with each space offering a new perspective or surprise. The terraces step gently down the hillside, connected by brick paths and framed vistas that draw the eye forward. Wisteria drapes over pergolas in fragrant cascades, while climbing roses begin their ascent, promising even greater abundance in the weeks to come. The garden does not overwhelm; instead, it invites lingering, encouraging visitors to pause and absorb each moment.

Alice added a formal herb garden planted with culinary and fragrant herbs. It is bordered by a large greenhouse which still overwinters Alice’s favorite plants: calla lilies, clivias, orchids, and maidenhair ferns.

Ultimately, Hills and Dales in spring is more than a display of seasonal bloom—it is a testament to the enduring power of thoughtful design and patient cultivation. Almost 200 years after its creation, the garden remains as a living legacy of artistry and care by three generations. In spring, that legacy feels especially vivid, as the garden renews itself once more, inviting all who enter to witness the timeless dialogue between nature and design.

topiaries highlight the lunete windows

an aerial view illustrates the outlines of the boxwood parterres (photo curtesy of Hills & Dales)

The home and gardens are now open to the public as an estate museum, Tuesday–Thursday year-round, with special events and programs.
Hill & Dales, 1916 Hills and Dales Drive, LaGrange, GA, hillsanddales.org