A Weekend of Horticultural Gems in Alabama

Mar 11
4 min read

Updated: Apr 2

Southeast Region – open to all members and non-members

Friday through Sunday, April 17–19, 2026

Auburn, Alabama

a great weekend of horticultural gems has been planned by the southeast region in Auburn, Alabama!

The Auburn vicinity is a botanical “hot spot” for Japanese Maples, with several outstanding maple nurseries and some excellent private gardens featuring extensive collections of Japanese Maples.

Some of this maple enthusiasm can be traced back to the late Auburn football coach Pat Dye who truly loved Japanese Maples. His original homestead Crooked Oaks includes dozens of mature Japanese maples interspersed with other trees and flowering shrubs. Located in Notasulga, the 415-acre property was bequeathed to Auburn University’s College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment, which is now maintaining the property..

As Ken Rogers tells the story, Coach Dye was very fond of Japanese Maples and this was well known in college football circles. When other coaches would come to Auburn for a little advice or a friendly visit, they typically brought a nice maple for him to add to his

collection at Crooked Oaks.

Itinerary: Friday Afternoon

Our field trip will begin with a rendezvous Friday, at 3 PM (CDT) at Kito Gardens,

a family nursery specializing in Japanese Maples in a broad range of sizes. Under the guidance of proprietor Micheal Fair, Kito Gardens probably have roughly 100 different types of Japanese Maples available for purchase at reasonable prices. Many are available in one, two, three gallons or larger. View pictures of their exciting maples on Facebook.

Itinerary: Saturday

We'll start at 8:30 AM with a trip to the Donald E. Davis Arboretum—a 13.5 acre botanic garden in the heart of Auburn filled with an incredible diversity of plants. Patrick Thompson, the long-term Arboretum Specialist, will talk with us about the astounding diversity of plant life in Alabama before leading us on a walking tour of the Arboretum.

There will be lots of color in the Arboretum at the time of our visit, and Patrick will have some of the rare but exceptional Auburn hybrid azaleas available at the Arboretum for our purchase. They are truly exceptional when in bloom with deep reds and bright deep oranges; some native azaleas have been selected and named after sports figures and other prominent individuals in Auburn culture. They will look lovely growing with your Japanese Maples.

We'll enjoy lunch at the Arboretum thanks to member Susan Booth, who will bring smoked chicken salad and pimento cheese sandwich materials, chips, and bottled water.

After lunch, we'll visit Ken Rogers’ home. Ken is a retired Conservation Agronomist with Auburn University and is a great maple enthusiast, with hundreds of Japanese Maples included in his extensive 9-acre woodland garden, along with a broad diversity of other garden plants.

Dinner plans are in the works; we'll include this information in your registration confirmation.

Itinerary: Sunday

At 9:30 Sunday morning, we will tour a special two-acre private garden curated by Sarge Biligili that has many Japanese Maples in an extensively landscaped garden. Sarge's work takes him all over the world and through his travels, he has picked up and incorporated many ideas for his garden. Nearby, Sarge’s daughter has a five-acre garden of mature Japanese Maples that we have been invited to tour Sunday afternoon.

At this point some may need to depart for home. The rest of us will head north about 20

miles to Millstone Japanese Maple Nursery. This nursery has been around a long time and has over 200 maple cultivars in a range of sizes. It’s a great opportunity to see the shapes and forms of mature maples.

Lodging

In addition to numerous hotels in the Auburn area, there are several limited opportunities to stay at Crooked Oaks, either inside the lodge or in cabins on the property.

Lodging at Crooked Oaks

Discounted pricing has been extended to the Maple Society due to Ken Rogers' long term friendship with Pat Dye and support of Crooked Oaks. Fees are tax free, gratuity inclusive, and parking is complimentary. Check-in is at 3:00PM and check-out at 11:00AM. Those interested in booking should email: crookedoaks@auburn.edu

Please note in the descriptions below that some areas are communal. Bedrooms in the Lodge share hall baths. The cabin is rented as one unit, with suggested price breakdown for the bedrooms.

The Lodge: this option features shared access to the kitchen and main level sitting area with television, wood burning fireplace, and a dining table that seats ten, as well as a covered porch filled with rocking chairs to enjoy lake view. Two-night reservation is required. The cost is $125 per bedroom: there are 4 bedrooms available on the second floor with 2 shared bathrooms; each bedroom features 2 full size beds.

Three Bedroom Cabin (rented as one unit): gather some Maple Society friends to rent this one! The cabin features a kitchenette, bistro seating with barstools, sitting area with television, wood burning fireplace, and a covered porch with rocking chairs. Two-night reservation is required. This building is reserved as a unit, with three bedrooms inside:

Cabin Room One - Queen bed and shared adjacent bath via hall access $125 each
Cabin Room Two - Queen bed and shared bath access across sitting area $125 each
Cabin Room Three - Queen bed with private bath $150 each

Dockside Cottage on the Pond

This option includes a king size bed, kitchenette, table with 2 chairs, television, ensuite bath featuring a clawfoot tub and rain shower, and an adjacent covered porch with rocking chairs. Cost is $200 per night with a two night minimum.

Breezeway One: this lodging option features 2 full size beds with private bath, private entry, access to downstairs lodge common area, and a shared stone patio with wood burning firepit. Cost is $150 per night.

Breezeway Two: this lodging option features 2 full size beds with private bath, private entry, access to downstairs lodge common area, and a shared stone patio with wood burning firepit. Cost is $150 per night.

Registration is Required

This event is $20 for current Maple Society members and $30 for non-members, a portion of which will apply as a discount should you choose to become a member during the same weekend.

Once you register, we will send out a complete itinerary with timing and addresses so that you will have no trouble meeting up. We look forward to seeing you in Auburn!