Blooming In Concert

Dixon Gallery & Gardens in Memphis plants more than 250,000 tulips a year for a spring spectacular

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DIXON GALLERY & Gardens is small but mighty. It may not be the state's largest botanical garden, but the cultural spot in the heart of Memphis delivers well beyond its mere 17 acres. It is home to not only hundreds of unique plants-native azaleas, tulips, woodland wildflowers, heirloom roses, daffodils, and trilliums-but also a permanent art collection with works by Henri Matisse, Vincent van Gogh, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, and more.

"The synergy between the gardens and the museum is where we shine," explains director of horticulture Dale Skaggs, who has worked there since 2007. "The Dixon is small by public-garden standards, and the museum and collections are not large either, but when you put the two together, it's really special."