Events at Compton Gardens

Late spring is usually considered wedding season, but for those of us working at wedding venues winter is the busiest because of event bookings. Everyone knows that planning a wedding isn’t a piece of cake, but few brides anticipate the challenge of booking a venue in advance. Generally, brides book their venue months in advance and it can be difficult to envision an outdoor June wedding on a snowy January day. Compton Gardens is no exception; during the year you can see everything from redbuds to hydrangeas blooming. To help our brides plan their weddings in advance we’ve provided photos of the grounds during each season. (read more...)

On any given day in Compton Gardens you might see a Red Shouldered Hawk, but during this time of year you may hear their distinctive kee-aah squawk. The hawks are in the prime of their mating season and prefer to build their nests which are made of sticks in the major fork of larger trees just like the ones at Compton Gardens! Their clutch typically yields 3-4 eggs.  (read more...)

The Arkansas Forestry Commission unveiled a tree monument for the American Chestnut Hybrid state champion tree at Compton Gardens on Thursday, July 21. The Arkansas Champion Tree program recognizes those trees that are the largest of the species. Trees are compared using the American Forests’ “Bigness Index.” A full list of Arkansas State Champion Trees can be found online at http://forestry.arkansas.gov/Pages/ChampionTrees.aspx.  (read more...)

Norm Allen, with the "Out of the Norm" show, which airs on JonesTV, recently visited Compton Gardens and spoke with volunteer John Spurgeon. This 30 minute video is interesting and informative, and we were thrilled with the way it turned out. You can view the full length episode below. (read more...)

One attendee at our inaugural July 10th fundraiser, The Gardens Uncorked, may have said it best, “The Peel Compton Foundation is providing a new venue for fun and preservation.” As someone who has been in the fundraising profession for more years than I care to admit, too often organizations forget that a fundraiser should first and foremost start with the first three letters FUNdraiser. In fact this was made very clear to me, as I handed out a specially made trivet featuring one of our bridges as a memento of the evening, several thanked all of us for a “great party.” That is a very telling statement when the enjoyment of the evening takes over the goal of that event. Mary Jordan and Rhonda French, co-chairs for the event, deserve much of the credit.  (read more...)