BBBTV12 Serving Anderson, Roane, and Morgan Counties
Bidding Open September 13-22
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Birdhouses installed throughout the UT Gardens, Knoxville, as part of the 2021 Art in the Gardens project will soon become available for purchase through an online auction. The theme of the 2021 Art in the Gardens project is Home Sweet Home – A Birdhouse Exhibit, with more than 40 birdhouses included in the exhibit.
Now you can enhance your own garden with one of these spectacular birdhouses. Bidding will be open Monday, September 13, at 8 a.m. through Wednesday, September 22, at 5 p.m. To access the auction site, visit utgardens.tennessee.edu.
Sale items include the birdhouses, supporting rods and counterweights used to steady the structures. All pieces are currently on display in the UT Gardens, Knoxville, during daylight hours with exhibit guides available at the entrance kiosk or from the UT Gardens website. Items may also be viewed on the UT Gardens, Knoxville, Facebook page.
Amateur and professional artists from East Tennessee donated their time and talent to artistically interpret this year’s theme with fun and creative designs. This year’s theme includes two different styles of birdhouses, and each artist was provided with one or both styles to embellish using media of their choice. After being returned to the UT Gardens, each birdhouse was mounted and installed throughout the gardens for visitors to enjoy.
Fabricated from marine-grade plywood, these weather-resistant birdhouses are functional as well as beautiful. The project was designed to promote community participation and foster artist collaboration at the UT Gardens as well as raise awareness and support for the Gardens.
The UT Gardens features more than 1,000 woody plants under long-term observation and 2,000 varieties of herbaceous plants evaluated annually. The Gardens function as an outdoor laboratory, teaching and research facility, and public gardens, sharing their beauty with more than 50,000 visitors yearly. Established in 1983 by the UT Institute of Agriculture Department of Plant Sciences, the Gardens are recognized as an official All American Selections (AAS) test site for evaluating new plants for the ornamental market, an American Conifer Association and a American Hosta Society reference garden and a Tennessee certified arboretum. They are a valuable resource for home gardeners and landscape professionals. You can find the UT Gardens in Knoxville just off Neyland Drive behind the UT Veterinary Medical Center on the Institute of Agriculture campus. From I-40 take Exit 386B onto Highway 129 (Alcoa Highway south toward the airport). From Highway 129 take the exit for Highway 158 (Neyland Drive). Turn left onto Neyland Drive at end of exit ramp. Turn left onto Joe Johnson Drive and right at the next light onto Chapman Drive. Free visitor parking is available directly across from the entrance to the UT Gardens.
