Before anyone arrives at Antiques at the Gardens, several spots are decorated with hydrangeas and cocktail tables, ready to welcome guests.
Photo Courtesy of Dustin Adams
Every fall, as the days get shorter and the temperatures finally begin to dip, there’s one tradition we look forward to as much as the leaves changing—Birmingham’s Antiques at the Gardens. For four days, Birmingham Botanical Gardens becomes a gathering place for some of the country’s most celebrated interior designers, architects, floral designers, and antiques dealers, bringing a little extra magic and plenty of inspiration to the season.
This year, October 1-4, Antiques at the Gardens is celebrating its 20th anniversary at Birmingham Botanical Gardens. The premier antiques show brings together nationally and internationally known professionals in the industry for a weekend of panels, sessions, mingling, shopping, and so much to discover. Guests can browse an exceptional collection of furniture, fine art, vintage and fine jewelry, home décor, garden accessories, and more.
Photo Courtesy of Dustin Adams
A display of terra-cotta pots, dahlias, roses, orchids, and celosia at the Gardens.
For FLOWER Editor-in-Chief Margot Shaw, it’s one of her most anticipated events of the year. “Antiques at the Gardens has everything,” says Margot. “First of all, it’s in Birmingham, my hometown, which is a gem. It’s a city of rolling hills, beautiful homes and gardens, and people who know and appreciate flowers, gardens, and fine design. It has a varied and sophisticated compendium of restaurants and a rich cultural scene. Also, this event is one of the few Antiques and Gardens Shows that’s actually set at a botanical garden.”
This year’s 20th anniversary is an opportunity to celebrate the people who have grown to help shape the event and all it represents. Event co-chairs are Marguerite Johnson, Rachael Rummel, Jeremy D. Clark, Stephanie Lynton, and Jennifer Ard. While they each bring a unique perspective to the group, they also have a shared passion for design, tradition, and the lasting beauty of Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
Marguerite Johnson, Rachael Rummel, Jeremy Clark, Stephanie Lynton, Jennifer Ard are this year's chairs.
Photo Courtesy of Antiques at the Garden.
This milestone year will also honor three longtime supporters of Antiques at the Gardens since its earliest days—FLOWER Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief Margot Shaw, renowned designer Richard Keith Langham, and Bart McCorquodale of McCorquodale Transfer. Together, these three have helped shape the weekend into the vibrant celebration of design and collecting it’s known for today.
“This honor was so unexpected that I cried when I found out,” says Margot. “What has happened in the past 20 years has been a steady, studied growth that has been really gratifying to experience. Everywhere I go, people remark on Birmingham Antiques at the Gardens, and I am honored to have played a part. We’ve not only burnished the reputation of the Gardens but also of Birmingham in the process. And that really makes my heart smile. I’m also thrilled to be honored alongside the likes of the remarkable Richard Keith Langham and the most moving of men, Bart McCorquodale. I’m still pinching myself.”
There's no shortage of mingling at Antiques at the Gardens.
Photo Courtesy of Antiques at the Gardens
And while we love a weekend of wining and dining, there’s so much more to the event. The celebration also shines a light on philanthropy and all there is to do at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. The weekend-long event benefits Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens, the nonprofit that helps sustain the Gardens through education, outreach, conservation, and more. Through memberships, donor support, gardening classes, and community programs, Friends helps to ensure the public garden remains just that—a free place where people can gather, learn, and connect with the beauty of nature.
Just beyond the Conservatory is the small but brilliant Forman Garden that demonstrates the endless possibilities for color in the garden every day of the year.
Locals can enjoy an array of activities such as Storytime at the Gardens.
After two decades, Antiques at the Gardens has become more than just a weekend devoted to design. It’s a celebration of the people and places that inspire us each day. From the treasures we find in the sessions and discussions, to the gardens just outside the doors, Antiques at the Gardens is a reminder that there is always new beauty to discover.
To learn more, visit bbgardens.org.
