Anyone who has ever tended a garden knows the time, research, and patience it takes to watch it grow and flourish. And, any garden, well cared for, only gets better over time. Hills & Dales estate and is proof that dedication and perseverance is as essential as good soil, sunshine, and rain to foster an enduring garden. It’s no wonder that the almost 200-year-old garden started by Sarah Ferrell and perpetuated by Ida Callaway, and later, her daughter-in-law Alice Callaway, continues to draw enthusiasts every year.
More than just a well-cultivated landscape, the Italian Villa at the center of it all is a must see for anyone interested in historical houses. Though the garden was started more than 80 years before the residence, the house completed the estate and provided a place for the families to truly to call home. Commissioned by textile magnate Fuller Earle Callaway and designed by Neel Reid, a prominent 20th-century architect, the white stucco Italian villa with red tile roof features classical design elements inside and out. Today, design aficionados can explore the 13,000 square foot residence and get a glimpse of the lifestyle of the period.
Finished in 1916, the structure exhibits grand porticos, an elegant double staircase, and many of the original furnishings. Though the house and garden are steeped in history, the estate still very much lives for today.
A stroll through the grounds reveals the deft touch of the garden’s original stewards and current caretakers. Highlights include mazes of boxwood gardens, some with biblical references attributed to Sarah’s deep faith, numerous fountains, secret gates and allées, enchanting statuary, and welcoming benches. It’s a place for respite, but it’s also a place for people to connect.
Every season welcomes something new—which makes it worth visiting again and again. Spring ushers in daffodils and azaleas in striking colors while Asian magnolias and old-growth wisteria perfume the air with a fairy wonderland of white petals. In summer, the lushness of the landscape is met with blooming perennials and annuals. Autumn showcases the brilliance of fall color and late season flowers before the winter makes a splash with camellias, hellebores, early winter bulbs, and evergreens. In every season, the greenhouse brims with legacy plants such as maidenhair ferns, a variety of orchids, and peace lilies—species collected and propagated by the women who created the gardens.
Hills & Dales is a dreamy venue for rehearsal dinners, weddings, private parties, and photo sessions, but they also host calendared events that are both entertaining and educational. The founding families always meant for the estate to be shared, and today the Fuller E. Callaway Foundation honors that promise.
An annual family picnic brings out fun games and contests, pony rides, face painting along with live music. Experts offer workshops on floral design, beekeeping, and horticulture, and there’s storytelling and art experiences for the kids. During the Christmas holidays, the house is decorated with an old-fashioned Christmas tree and abundant greenery while carols are performed by local musicians.
The history of Hills & Dales and its continuing legacy runs as deep as the roots of the stalwart gingko tree on the property. This is a place to explore, learn, celebrate, dream, and imagine—just as Sarah, Ida, and Alice intended.
Where to start?
The visitor’s center extends a warm welcome and complimentary guide with map highlighting the significance of 22 spots around the garden, a historical timeline of the garden, and a list of what’s in bloom. A short, documentary-style film offers guests an up close and personal look at the garden and the lives that created it. With imagery of the garden through every season, the story chronicles the development of Hills & Dales through both new and historic photography as well as clips from an interview with Alice Hand Callaway herself.
