Hodges Gardens: Louisiana's heaven on earth

This was an article ( and photos) I used for the entertainment section of our paper.

-- Published Article (4.9.05) --

If you are looking to get away and relax or for a place to enjoy a family outing, Hodges Gardens and Wilderness Park is the place to go.
Calming floral tranquility and hiking adventures are just two of the many attractions at the gardens.
For those looking to explore the beauty of nature, Hodges Gardens is home to a variety of flowers, herbs, trees and bushes flaunting colorful blossoms.
Some of the floral exhibits include:
_ The modern rose garden is home to hundreds of rose bushes which usually bloom between late April and December.
_ The circle bed is a large three-tiered display of flowers with a fountain.
_ The camellia garden blooms with hundreds of camellia bushes representing the many varieties and colors of this plant.
_ The mirror beds were originally a large reflecting pool later changed to flower beds planted in mirror images.
_ Azalea hill is a large rock covered with Southern Indica hybrid azaleas. These fuchsia pink azaleas are usually at their peak during the first two weeks of April.
_ The grandiflora rose garden features large perennials and vine plants.
_ The nature scenic area, or north gardens, features paved pathways and bridges leading through a “garden in the rough.” No earth moving was done to create this shaded garden of streams, ravines, native azaleas, dogwoods, daffodils and other spring blooming bulbs.
_ Lookout tower offers a panoramic view and is the highest point in the natural gardens.
_ Willow point has a large fountain as its focal point where willows, mixed with perennials, reside along the water’s edge.
Floral exhibits are not the only pleasure offered by Hodges Gardens and Wilderness Park.
Those looking for an adventure can choose from seven hiking, horseback riding and biking trails.
Hodges Gardens and Wilderness Park also has greenhouses to explore and a variety of wildlife including buffalo.
Fishing on the park’s 225-acre lake also offers hours of fun.
Two-and three-person boats are available to rent and include gasoline, trolling motor, battery, paddles and life jackets. In designated areas bank fishing is allowed.
If you want to make an all-day event, Hodges Gardens offers a picnic area in the “piney woods.”
Hodges Gardens and Wilderness Park also offers camp sites and cabins for those wishing to stay a few days.
Paved, full-service recreational vehicle sites with all the amenities are available as well as campsites.
Cabins and guest houses are also available as well as the Wilderness Lodge, which has two large dormitory rooms with restrooms, showers, kitchen and a large meeting room.
Hodges Gardens and Wilderness Park was created in the early 1940s, by A. J. Hodges, a pioneer conservationist, who began a vast reforestation effort in west central Louisiana.
Included was a 4,700-acre experimental arboretum, and within this area an abandoned stone quarry was discovered.
Hodges and his wife, Nona Trigg Hodges, recognized its potential and created a unique scenic garden utilizing the natural rock formations.
Named for its founders, Hodges Gardens and Wilderness Park was opened to the public in 1956 and is now owned and operated by the nonprofit A. J. and Nona Trigg Hodges Foundation.
It may be hard to believe, but the 4,700 acres now known as Hodges Gardens and Wilderness Park were once called the "most barren" in Louisiana.
By the early 1900s, stonemasons and lumber men had utilized and abandoned the land, leaving the area stripped and barren.
It was the vision of Hodges that turned this wasteland into the largest privately owned horticultural park and recreation area in the United States.
Hodges is a combination of natural scenic areas and artfully designed gardens in the rolling pinelands of west central Louisiana.
It is a nature and adventure lover’s delight with natural beauty year-round.
Hodges Gardens and Wilderness Park’s entrance gate hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. daily.
Admission is $6.50 for adults, $5.50 for seniors and $3 for youth 3 to 18. Active-duty military admission is half price.
Season passes can also be purchased for $20 a person or $50 per family.
Hodges Gardens and Wilderness Park located on La. Hwy 171 near Many, La.
For more information call (800) 354-3523 or visit the Internet at: www.hodgesgardens.com.