Forty-five years ago, the relatively new office of the Consulate General of Japan reached out to the Garden’s Executive Director, Ann Crammond, about planting Japanese cherry trees along Piedmont Avenue in front of the young botanical garden. That was the beginning of a long relationship between the Garden and the Japanese Consulate that continues to this day.
The cherries that were planted in 1979 have brought much joy to our community as they explode into clouds of pink and white every spring.
Next year marks the 50th anniversary of the Consulate General of Japan in Atlanta, which is a very important occasion that deserves special recognition. In celebration, the Garden is working in partnership to plant new, young trees and gradually replace the 45-year-old trees that are in steep decline (See Piedmont Avenue Facelift, page 4). Life expectancy for Japanese cherries in this climate is usually 15 to 20 years. Our trees have far exceeded their lifespan and need to be replaced.
To avoid the visual shock of replanting our aged trees all at once, we will remove those that are dying and plant new, vigorous cherries among the aging trees. Within five years, the entire frontage will showcase young, healthy cherries and once again bring joy to our community for decades to come.
I am very excited to know that the history of Atlanta’s cherry display along Piedmont will continue long into the future because of the longterm relationship between the Garden and the Japanese Consulate General’s office. The Garden plans to celebrate its anniversary by hosting its 50th anniversary party. Many dignitaries will be in attendance, including a delegation from Atlanta’s sister city, Fukuoka, Japan, for the auspicious occasion.
In a city that has lost so much of its history, it’s rewarding to recommit to the relevance and beauty of the Piedmont cherry tree display. It seems fitting that just as we rejuvenate our display because of age and declining health, so does the nation’s capital where its beloved cherries are also being rejuvenated for the next generation to enjoy.
Mary Pat Matheson Anna and Hays Mershon President & CEO
Garden Lights returns November 16
Member tickets go on sale September 1
Tickets for Garden Lights, Holiday Nights presented by Invesco QQQ go on sale to Garden members on September 1, one month before they are available to the general public.
The 14th annual show, presented November 16 – January 12, features an expanded “Nature’s Wonders” – Storza Woods’ ever-popular curtain of light synchronized with music – with more vertical strands of light than ever!
Also look for several of the giant plant sculptures from the current exhibition Alice’s Wonderland Returns dramatically lit, including the Skyline Garden’s towering White Rabbit and nearby chess set as well as the Cheshire Cat perched on Alston Overlook.
Other features back by popular demand include large illuminated metal sculptures of deer and birds positioned in the Anne Cox Chambers Garden. The ethereal sculptures by French artist Cedric Le Borgne include two deer grazing among the grasses and six birds perched among the hardwoods or taking flight through the treetops.
For tickets, visit atlantabg.org.
Garden Lights, Holiday Nights presented by Invesco QQQ is sponsored by the Isdell Family Foundation and The Home Depot Foundation with support from Audi Atlanta and Georgia Power.
Watch the light show on national TV!
This fall, see why Garden Lights, Holiday Nights was named 2023’s best professional light show in the country by ABC-TV’s The Great Christmas Light Fight.
The primetime series pits residential outdoor light displays against each other in a contest judged by a professional designer. The show also features a Heavyweights division in which professional light displays across the country vie for a coveted trophy.
Beating out displays in New York, Houston and New Mexico, the Garden’s team shared with the judge that Garden Lights enables the Garden to execute its core mission in helping to save the planet. By connecting people with plants,
the light show both exposes guests to the Garden’s mission while also supporting it financially.
At the end of the episode, the Garden was awarded the prized Light Fight trophy, now displayed in the Hardin Visitor Center. It also won a $50,000 grand prize, which supports the Garden’s mission work. The episode can be viewed on abc.com and Hulu.
Vice President, Marketing: Jessica Boatright
Editor: Danny Flanders
Designer: Bo Shell
Membership Manager: Claudia McDavid
There’s no better time to experience the Garden than in the fall.
Cooler temperatures usher in guest favorites like Scarecrows in the Garden and Fest-of-Ale, and there’s still time to take in Alice’s Wonderland Returns to boot!
During Scarecrows, hundreds of sculpture entries are perched throughout both the Midtown and Gainesville gardens. The 22nd annual exhibit – set for Oct. 1 – Nov. 3 in Atlanta and Sept. 21 – Oct. 31 in Gainesville – pits participants competing in various categories. The often-wacky entries are created by families, artists, businesses, schools and nonprofits. In Atlanta, guests will find them rising along the Promenade extending from the Visitor Center to Longleaf restaurant and into the Children’s Garden as well as along Crape Myrtle Allee.
Here are some other great exhibits and events not to miss in Atlanta:
ALICE’S WONDERLAND RETURNS
Through Sunday, Sept. 15
Don’t be late for the final weeks of exploring seven installations of 38 topiary-like sculptures depicting many of the characters from Lewis Carroll’s iconic tales.
FEST-OF-ALE
October Thursdays - Saturdays, 5 – 8 p.m.
(check atlantabg.org for schedule)
Explore Scarecrows in the Garden as darkness falls while enjoying craft beers and live entertainment. down the rabbit hole with fun!
GOBLINS IN THE GARDEN
Sunday, Oct. 20, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Show off the little ones’ Halloween costumes on the Goblins Runway and enjoy fun fall-themed games and activities.
GREAT PUMPKIN-CARVING FESTIVAL
Thursday, Oct. 24, 5 - 9 p.m.
Celebrate all things autumn! Enjoy exciting entertainment, live music, clever crafts, festive ales, fall-flavored food – and, of course, teams of talented amateur pumpkin carvers competing for great prizes at this ticketed event.
Scarecrows in the Garden is presented with support from Audi Atlanta; Fest-of-Ale is presented by PNC.
For details visit atlantabg.org
New landscaping to enhance streetscape as Garden expands to north
Flowering cherry trees are among the first harbingers of spring, and guests and passersby are dazzled every March by the ones that light up the sky over Piedmont Avenue near the Garden’s entrance. Few, however, know just how special those trees are. But that’s about to change for the mix of Kanzan and Yoshino cherries as the Piedmont streetscape gets a facelift tied to the Garden’s planned expansion to the north.
UPDATES & REFINEMENTS -
Kanzan cherry blooms
Yoshino cherry blooms
The Garden plans to landscape the Piedmont Avenue frontage along the exapansion acerage.
Many of the cherry trees along Piedmont Avenue are declining in health.
When one thinks of vibrant fall color, the mind typically goes straight to trees. Maples ring in autumn with bright oranges and reds, while Ginkgos shine like the sun with stunning yellows. Yet not everyone seeking to add fall color to the garden has the space to grow such beautiful trees. One solution is to instead plant shrubs that produce stunning seasonal color. Here are a few shrubs to consider that don’t consume all the space of trees.
Taylor Polomsky, Angela Collins Senior Horticulturists
Oakleaf hydrangea
Hydrangea quercifolia
Native to the Southeast, oakleaf hydrangea is easy to care for and offers year-round interest, making it especially valuable in the landscape. Handsome foliage emerges in spring, resembling that of an oak tree. Large, long-lasting showy clusters of creamy white blooms gradually mature to various hues of pink in mid- to late summer. Oakleaf hydrangea is striking in the fall with stunning red to burgundy/ purple foliage that persists well into winter. While it prefers afternoon shade, oakleaf hydrangea often grows in full sun in the mountain ridges of its native habitat. Typically growing to 5 - 8 feet, it is an excellent choice for an accent planting and an informal hedge/screen. Cultivars to consider: ‘Alice’: 5 - 8 feet tall and wide, large habit, large arching blooms. ‘Little Honey’: 3 - 5 feet tall and wide, beautiful showy chartreuse foliage. ‘Jet Stream’: 56 feet tall, 4 – 5 feet wide, compact habit with deep reds and purple fall color.
Witch-Alder
Fothergilla x intermedia ‘Mt. Airy’
A great foundation shrub that can be grown as a specimen or in a mixed border, this selection is compact and deciduous. In spring before any leaves emerge, the entire shrub is covered in beautiful bottlebrush-like flowers that emit a pleasant fragrance reminiscent of honey. After dropping the flowers, you’re left with a well-behaved plant, reaching no taller than 5 feet, that can grow in full sun and tolerate partial shade. Come fall, its blue-green foliage turns brilliant shades of orange and yellow, persisting long enough to enjoy before painting the ground in color. Cultivars to consider: ‘Blue Shadow’, 3 - 5 feet tall, 4 - 5 feet wide; bluish-teal summer foliage, similar blooms.
Common ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
Buttercup Winterhazel
Corylopsis pauciflora
Best known for its buttercup blooms that resemble hanging lanterns, this shrub makes a great addition to mixed borders and shade gardens. Reaching a modest 4 - 6 feet, it’s best placed in the middle of the landscape where it can truly shine each season. After putting on a dazzling display of late-winter flowers, brightgreen leaves with a hint of chartreuse emerge in spring. In autumn that bright green quickly turns into a cheery golden-yellow, adding a wonderful pop of color when surrounded by other hues of orange and red. Because this shrub is not native to the Southeast, amend heavy clay soils before planting. It grows best in moist, well-drained soils that are slightly acidic. More sun can be tolerated in slightly cooler climates, but it will appreciate part shade in the Southeast.
Perhaps best known for its exfoliating bark, Ninebark’s various cultivars exhibit highly ornamental foliage laden with tones of amber, burgundy and purple throughout the growing season. Round clusters of plentiful white flowers emerge in late spring, providing a welcomed food source for native pollinators. In fall, ninebark’s brilliant summer coloration intensifies to deeper shades of copper, garnet and dark purple, providing rich autumn accents. Encapsulated seed pods and exfoliating bark peel back in winter to reveal layers of reds and browns. Ninebark is grown in full sun but may appreciate partial shade in the South. Wide selection of cultivars available. Cultivars to consider: ‘Center Glow’: 6 - 8 feet tall and wide, leaves emerge greenish-gold in spring and age to burgundy. ‘Amber Jubilee’: 5 - 6 feet tall, 4 feet wide, showy orange foliage ages to purple in fall. ‘Diablo’: 4 - 8 feet tall and wide, leaves emerge coppery green and darken to a rich deep burgundy.
Sweetspire
Itea virginica ‘Merlot’
Unique in form, this cultivar of Itea tends to form a compact and tight clump of branches reaching about 3 feet high and 4 feet wide. Because of its unique stature, this shrub makes a great screen and can also be used in understory plantings. Itea prefers part shade but can live in full sun if given adequate water. If it starts to sucker or spread, dig out the unwanted branches to transplant. In spring it features white flowers that seem to cascade off its branches while attracting many pollinators. As temperatures start to cool and fall approaches, its bright green foliage turns a striking burgundy-red color that never disappoints. Cultivars to consider: ‘Fizzy Mizzy’®: 2 - 3 feet tall and wide, earlier bloom time. ‘Henry’s Garnet’: 5 - 6 feet tall and wide, red-orange fall color.
Making an entrance
New Beltline Garden will wow with native plants of the Coastal Plain
Keeping in mind the Garden’s mission “to develop and maintain plant collections for display, education, conservation, research and enjoyment” has never been more important than while exploring designs for the Garden’s planned expansion along the Atlanta Beltline.
The proposed Beltline Garden – the space through which guests will enter off the trail to explore multiple gardens within the nearly 8-acre expansion – has to be special. It must be inspiringly different from plantings found
elsewhere along the 22-mile loop. It has to be a designed horticulture space with relevance and resonance because what better place to combine displays, collections and conservation efforts for telling the Garden’s story? And what better place to be inspired by plants than the Coastal Plain? Coastal Plain plants are found in flat land, adjacent to the coasts of southeastern states. Pines, magnolias, tupelo, bald cypress and hollies are beautiful examples of trees found in
these areas and in many Atlanta gardens. The rhododendrons, titi and chokeberry also are stunning ornamental shrubs that are plentiful in the Coastal Plain. Many of these alluring plants that are native to the coast thrive right under our noses.
Hoerr Schaudt Landscape Architects, designers for the expansion project to be completed in 2027, plans to arrange these woody plants with corresponding ground plantings into rolling berms. A modern designed garden
EXPANSION UPDATE
Rendering by Hoerr Schaudt Landscape Architects
space using native and resilient plants will undeniably inspire guests, allow for rainwater capture and give the Garden opportunities for education and interpretation.
The use of native plants in gardens has been on the increase. Previously deemed “un-gardenworthy” plants, the tide began to change in the 1980s. Advocacy, increased availability and breeding for urban spaces have led to more diverse gardens. Diversity will be key as horticulturists grapple with climate change and gardening in the future. Inspiration and plant diversity found in places like the Coastal Plain provide plenty of opportunity for creating great gardens.
After all, aren’t new and fun plants one of the best reasons to continually update our gardens?
Amanda Bennett
Vice President, Horticulture & Collections
Drummond’s Maple, Acer rubrum var. drummondii
‘Little Gem’ magnolia
Littleleaf Titi, Cyrilla parvifolia
Native azalea, Rhododendron canescens
First impressions
Second phase of entry garden renovations launches this winter
When the Southern Seasons Garden was renovated two years ago, the goal was to create more impact in a space that serves as a first impression for guests as they enter the Garden. This winter, that transformation continues with Phase II of the redesign of what’s now known as the Anne Cox Chambers Garden.
Renamed in honor of the lifetime trustee and avid gardener, the space conveys the experience guests can anticipate throughout the rest of their visit – excellent horticulture, collection plants such as Hydrangeas, Acers and Camellias, and a nod to art installations with Cedric Le Borgne’s wire bird sculptures.
Designed in collaboration with Sylvatica Studio, the renovation was always meant to be a two-phase project in order to lessen the impact on guests and continue designs based on what’s been successful. Good plant selection and preservation of the mature tree canopy also were taken into account.
While Phase I was meant to be like a painting to admire, Phase II aims to be a painting guests can walk through. The current yellow river of Acorus gramineus ‘Ogon’ will curve onward toward Longleaf restaurant and end at a new fountain featuring a gentle curtain of cascading water.
New plantings will meander to and fro along the Acorus river and ultimately provide four seasons of interest. Pockets of annual beds will be filled with cheerful tulips in spring and colorful bedding plants in summer. Perennials like Iris ensata ‘Temple Bells’ and Phlox paniculata ‘David’ will help transition from spring into summer, when shrubs like Hypericum prolificum and Hydrangea paniculata ‘Little Lime’ take center stage. As autumn arrives and the canopy transitions into brilliant hues, the ground layer will also shine with fall-blooming plants like Tricyrtis hirta alongside the sprightly textures of grasses like Carex morrowii ‘Silk Tassel’. Bold evergreens like Camellia japonica and Illicium floridanum will form the backbone of this space and keep it looking lush even in the dead of winter.
GAINESVILLE
Terrarium Building
Learn how to create a miniature ecosystem for you to enjoy. Terrariums are a low-maintenance option and provide a beautiful accent to your home. gainesvillegarden.org
Michael Del Valle Outdoor Horticulture Manager
Iris ensata ‘Temple Bells’
Behold the flowers at the Garden of Eden Ball!
Celebrate a new season at the 2024 Garden of Eden Ball, the Garden’s largest annual fundraising event, set for Saturday, Sept. 28.
With the theme Miraflores: Behold the Flowers, the event honors Carol and Ramon Tomé and is chaired by Virginia Hepner and Malcolm Barnes, with Dean DuBose Smith as Ball Adviser. The evening begins at 6:30 p.m. with cocktails in the Garden, followed by a sumptuous dinner in a tented ballroom with live entertainment and dancing.
Cox Enterprises, Inc. and The Home Depot Foundation are presenting sponsors for the event.
Circles Members
In recognition of their continuing support, below are members of a distinguished donor community that sustains and enhances the Garden:
ORCHID CIRCLE $12,000 annually
Natalie and David Batchelor
Steven Behm
Liz and Bill Cary
Amanda and Michael Chanin
Lynn and Terry Chastain
Carol and Larry Cooper
Lizzie and John Crawford
Larry Davis
Joy and John Dyer
Jennifer and Marty Flanagan
Nora Foster
Duvall and Rex Fuqua
Gail and Pete Furniss
Shearon and Taylor Glover
Babette and Bill Henagan
Mary and John Huntz
Roya and Bahman Irvani
Ann Kay
Sarah and Jim Kennedy
Jeni and David Knight
Cara Isdell Lee and Zak Lee
Linda Lively and Jim Hugh
Barbara and Jim MacGinnitie
Linda and Ed McGinn
Jim Miller
Terrie and Read Morton
Cat and Parrish Owens
Sandra and Craig Perry
Robin and Marc Pollack
Margaret and Bob Reiser
Nancy and Charlie Rigby
Dean DuBose Smith and Bronson Smith
Linda Sward
Greer and Alex Taylor
Kristen and Jason Taylor
Carol and Ramon Tomé
Janeen and Mark Traylor
Suzanne B. Wilner
MAGNOLIA CIRCLE $6,000 annually
Mopsy Aldridge
Elizabeth Allen
Melissa and Philip Babb
Cathleen and Robert Bartlett
Tina and Paul Blackney
Arthur Blank
Susan and Mike Brooks
Kate and Matt Cook
Suzanne M. Dansby
Jessica and John Dark
Mary Wayne Dixon and Bill Dixon
Ellen Doft and Alexander Katz
Yoon and Benjamin Ettinger
Jane Gatley
Lou and Tom Glenn
Laura and Scott Harrison
Nancy and Charles Harrison
Anne E. Hayden
Nicolette Hennings and Michael Paulk
May B. and Howell Hollis
Mary Ellen Imlay
Pamela and Neville Isdell
Sarah and Scott Kagan
Barby and Bert Levy
Rebecca and James Martell
Marilyn and John McMullan
Anna and Hays Mershon
Flossie and Tom Mobley
Sally and Jim Morgens
Carly and Peter Nicolay
Douglas and Craig Perry
Jennifer and David Poroch
April Porter
Olive and Roby Robinson
Ruth Magness Rollins
Deen Day Sanders and James R. Sanders
Janet Schoff and Richard Nailling
Alayne and George Sertl
Laura S. Spearman
Susan and Jim Spratt
Beverly and Peter Thomas
Paula Turner
Ronit Walker and Matt Bronfman
Harriet Warren
Nancy and Joe Waterfill
Kay Watson and Kendall Moister
Carla and Leonard Wood
Dancy and Charlie Wynne
ARBOR CIRCLE $3,000 annually
Robin Aiken and Bill Bolen
Firelli Alonso and Jon Crate
Yum and Ross Arnold
Sylvia Attkisson
Jade and Michael Auzenne
Kathleen Barksdale
Molly and Ramsay Battin
Jan Beaves
Elizabeth Benator
Marilyn and Matthew Berberich
Xavier and Stephanie Bignon
Liz and Frank Blake
Diana Blank
Stephanie S. Blomeyer
Teri and Mose Bond
Merritt Bond
Linda and Sam Boyte
Ginny and Charles Brewer
Lisa and Ron Brill
Carolyn and Max Brown
Norris Broyles
Rebecca Burgess
Sara Jean and Fred Burke
Robert Burkholder
Dorothy and Peter Burns
Lisa and Russ Butner
Candace Carson
Daniel J. Chen
Sidney and Don Childress
Anne Barge Clegg
Martha Clinkscales and David Forquer
Lynn and John Cogan
Ann and Tom Cousins
Ann and Jim Curry
Christine Curtis
Debbie and Paul Cushing
Robin Cutshaw and Donna Godsey
Teresa Dau and Amanda McMillan
Amelia Davies
Lewis Davis
Vivian and Peter de Kok
Audra Dial and Matthew Ford
Ginger Dixon
Karen and David Dorton
Allison and Billy Dukes
Debbie and John Edwards
Diana Einterz
Florida and Douglas Ellis
Katharine and Alan Elsas
Terry and Charles Epstein
Margaret Erickson
Julie and John Fox
Mary and Billy Moretz
Michelle Murdock and Susan Cagle
Gail and Michael Murray
Ellen and George Nemhauser
Ellen Frauenthal and Laura Richardson
Mary Ann and Sam Fraundorf
Jennifer Fuqua
Kathleen Gaffney
Carolyn Gibbs and Rick Nelson
Chris Gilliam
Lynda and Ben Greer
Claire and Luther Griffith
Nena Griffith
Mazie Lynn Guertin
Tammie and Mickey Harp
Venessa Harrison
Jean and John Hatfield
Natalie and Douglas Herndon
Lila and Doug Hertz
Christi Hildebrandt and Danielle McCarthy
Sally and Jim Hinkle
Kay Hodges
Jo and Kevin Hodges
Karen and Mark Holzberg
William Hoyt
Dona and Bill Humphreys
Kay and Doug Ivester
Jane F. Jackson
Cynthia Jeness
Courtney Jenkins
Bobbo Jetmundsen
Edwina and Tom Johnson
Emily Williams Jordan and David Jordan
DeAnna and Gene Kansas
Rosthema Kastin
Andrea and Mark Kauffman
Minde and Lewis King
Susan Kinsella
Dorothy Kirkley
Beth Ackerman Krebs and Paul Krebs
Jim Landon
Marianne and E.G. Lassiter
Millie and Bob Lathan
Deborah Levey
Jeannie and Glenn Lightsey
Lynn Lowance
Cindy Mallard
Kim and Michael Mansfield
Elizabeth and David Martin
Lauren Fuqua Maronnier and Arnaud
Maronnier
Ashley and David Mast
Stephanie Dowell and Maney Mazloom
Jane and Randy Merrill
Kathryn and Ward Miller
Kara and David Miller
Dorothy E. Mitchell-Leef and Forrest Leef
Nancy Montgomery
Ellen and Melvin Moore
Nancy Newton
Caye and Rich Oglesby
James Owens
Vicki and Howard Palefsky
Karen and Richard Parker
Tonya and Steve Paro
Susan and Richard Patton
Margaret Petersen and Jill Adams
Arlene Porter
Ali and Clay Prickett
Heather Prill
Denita Pryor
Eliza Quigley
Kathy and Marbury Rainer
Chris and Robert Reddinger
Blair and James Robbins
Cynthia and Evan Ruff
Sylvia Russell
Sharon and David Schachter
Lauren and Andrew Schlossberg
Andre Schnabl and Denny Marcus
Kellie and Erik Schonberg
Lu Anne Schwarz
Dawn and Timothy Severt
Nancy and Al Sherrod
Charlotte and Tom Shields
Stephanie Soltau and Daniel Noyd
Kim and Alex Smith
Roger Smith
Lynette Smith
Chandra and Phil Spencer
Kirsten Spraggins
Maggie and Henry Staats
Linda and Mason Stephenson
Frances Stinson
Melinda and Stephen Stuk
Margaretta Taylor
Keegan Treadaway and Carl Mitcheson
Christine Tryba-Cofrin and David Cofrin
Lucy Vance
Wink and Lynn Weinberg
Mary and Philip Wilheit
Tricky and George Wolfes
Allen Yee
Lisa Yeager and Robert Ditty
Studie and Zach Young
Updated May 31, 2024
Garden Chef Cooking Demonstrations
Saturdays & Sundays through October, 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
Garden Chefs showcase fresh seasonal vegetables, fruits and herbs in tasty recipes in the Edible Garden Outdoor Kitchen.
Fresh Plates Dinners
Select Wednesdays through October, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Enjoy a fun evening dining, sipping and learning as favorite neighborhood chefs prepare a four-part small plate menu. Learn new recipes and taste freshly prepared courses and wine.
Georgia Grown Dinner Series
Select Thursdays through October, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Celebrate the relationship between chefs and local farmers during a seasonal dinner in the Outdoor Kitchen. Interact with the chef-grower team while enjoying tasting courses with wine. Each dinner is presented by a Georgia Grown Chef and a farm partner in collaboration with the Georgia Department of Agriculture.
Well-Seasoned Chef Series
Select Tuesdays through October, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
SOLD OUT: Join celebrated Atlanta chefs for an intimate and relaxing culinary experience. Learn as they prepare and discuss a four-part menu with wine selections to enhance the flavors of locally and garden grown produce.
Cocktails in Wonderland
Thursdays through September 12, 5 – 9 p.m.
Enjoy specialty cocktails from cash bars, scavenger hunts, an artist market, discovery stations, yard games and more while exploring the living-plant sculpture exhibition, Alice’s Wonderland Returns, dramatically lit at night.
Alice’s Wonderland Returns
Through Sunday, Sept. 15
Travel down the rabbit hole to explore seven installations of 38 topiary-like sculptures depicting many of the characters from Lewis Carroll’s
Fuqua Lecture: Doug Tallamy
Wednesday, Sept. 18, 7 p.m.
Choosing the right plants for our landscapes will not only address the biodiversity crisis but also help fight our climate crisis as well. Join Tallamy, a University of Delaware agriculture
iconic tales.
Garden of Eden Ball
Saturday, Sept. 28, 6:30 p.m.
Celebrate the Garden at its largest annual fundraising event with cocktails, dinner and dancing. The event is presented by Cox Enterprises, Inc.
Scarecrows in the Garden
Tuesday, Oct. 1 – Sunday, Nov. 3
Check out dozens of creations by local schools, artists, businesses and families perched along the Promenade and in the Children’s Garden.
Fest-of-Ale
October Thursdays - Saturdays, 5 – 8 p.m.
(check atlantabg.org for schedule)
Explore Scarecrows in the Garden as darkness falls while enjoying craft beers and live entertainment. Presented by PNC.
Fall Family Fun
October Saturdays & Sundays, 10 a.m. – Noon Fall-themed activities will delight youngsters of all ages!
Goblins in the Garden
Sunday, Oct. 20; 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Show off the kids’ Halloween costumes on the Goblins Runway, participate in fall family activities and enjoy pony and train rides all while exploring Scarecrows in the Garden!
Alston Lecture: Don Rakow Tuesday, Oct. 1, 7 p.m.
Nature engagement provides physical, psychological and social benefits, yet access to and use of local nature sites, parks and greenspace is not always equitable, particularly for communities of color. These impacted neighborhoods typically have fewer street trees planted, are farther from parks and other green spaces and, when parks are nearby, tend to have poorer equipment. Join Rakow, a retired Cornell University professor, as he discusses the findings of recent research on this topic. This lecture is hosted in partnership with Trees Atlanta. The Philip and Elkin Alston Lecture Series is made possible by generous support from the estate of Elkin Goddard Alston.
Great Pumpkin-Carving Festival
Thursday, Oct. 24, 5 – 9 p.m.
Celebrate all things autumn! Enjoy exciting entertainment, live music, clever crafts, festive ales, fall-flavored food – and, of course, teams of talented amateur pumpkin carvers competing for great prizes at this ticketed event.
For details visit atlantabg.org
HOLIDAYS IN THE GARDEN
Garden Lights, Holiday Nights
Saturday, Nov. 16 – Sunday, Jan. 12
Get timed tickets online beginning September 1 for the annual holiday extravaganza featuring millions of brilliantly colored LED lights and displays.
Holiday Model Trains
Saturday, Nov. 16 – Sunday, Jan. 12
Join kids and the kids at heart for this holiday favorite display, presented by Norfolk Southern.
Holiday Ride-on Train
Saturdays – Sundays, Nov. 16 – Jan. 12
All aboard the Botanical Express for a trip around the Great Lawn. $5 per passenger, $3 members. Presented by Norfolk Southern.
Botanical Saint Nick
Saturdays, Nov. 30 – Dec 21, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Bring your camera and tell all of your holiday wishes to the big guy clad in green.
Carols in the Garden
Saturdays, Dec. 7 – 21; 10:45 and 11:45 a.m.
Enjoy festive holiday music sung by Atlanta’s premier carolers, the Tinseltones!
atlanta happenings
| Gainesville
A Note from the Director
The Gainesville Garden will be a beehive of activity this fall, so it’s a great time to come out and enjoy cooler temperatures, the glory of fall perennials and fall color, and some fun events!
JuneFest was so popular with members and guests that we will be holding FallFest on Saturday, Sept. 21. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., enjoy informational booths, The Hort Doctor (our own horticulture staff answering gardening questions), kids’ activities, face painting, a magic show, crafts and discovery stations, music, food and more. Finish the afternoon with a special live musical performance, coupled with snacks and your favorite beverage.
Concerts return to the Garden this fall with Keb’ Mo’ and Shawn Colvin on Sunday, Sept. 29. The two Grammy Award-winning musicians combine forces to present a delightful evening of their top hits. And Old Crow Medicine Show will showcase its unique combination of blues/jazz/ country music on Friday, Oct. 11. Its combination of great musicianship and Americana music will be the perfect way to spend a fall evening.
Our fabulous glass sculpture exhibit, Glass in Flight, will be here through October 13, so don’t miss the opportunity to see these stunning pieces of steel and glass that celebrate winged creatures and their connection to nature.
October also will also bring our always entertaining Scarecrows in the Garden. Come enjoy scarecrows created around a “winged/flight” theme by members, local businesses, non-profits and school groups.
Hope to see you in the Garden. It’s the perfect place to enjoy fall!
Mildred Fockele Gainesville Garden Director
Reduce, reuse, repropagate
Greenhouses extend lives of hard-to-find annuals
Every spring Garden staff plant hundreds of annuals to add to the bloom of the perennial plants. Many of these annuals are fairly common and easy to come by from local growers, but some are harder to find year after year.
For many years at the Gainesville greenhouses, staff have been dividing and repropagating these harder-to-find annuals in the fall in order to reuse them the following year in new displays. Even before the Gainesville garden was open the staff traveled to the Atlanta garden each year to bring back a truckload of annuals to repropagate for the Midtown site.
Many of the annuals such as Colocasia, or Elephant Ears, grow exponentially each season. With these types of annuals division is used to select some of the smaller plants to pot and grow for next year. Some of the selections include Colocasia ‘Maui Gold’, Alocasia ‘Dark Star’ and Colocasia ‘Tea Cups’. Other groups of annuals do better when propagated from stem cuttings. Usually these cuttings are taken while the plants are still growing in a container or flower bed before the end of the season. This gives the cuttings time to root and start to grow in the greenhouses before winter. Some of the plants include Coleus, Cuphea, Salvias
and Begonias. Staff favorites include Salvia madrensis ‘Redneck Girl’, Cuphea llavea (Bat faced Cuphea), Coleus ‘Inky Fingers’ and Begonia ‘Bonita Shea’.
Ethan Guthrie Horticulture Manager
Some annuals are manually divided in the greenhouses for planting next year.
Colocasia ‘Maui Gold’
Show time! Gainesville to host two fall outdoor concerts
This fall will bring two nationally known acts to the Ivester Amphitheater, the perfect venue for enjoying an outdoor performance as the moon rises above the stage and dusk settles over the Garden.
Keb’ Mo’ & Shawn Colvin will perform on Sunday, Sept. 29. Both of these outstanding musicians and songwriters promise to deliver a great show. Keb’ Mo’ has won five Grammy Awards and 14 Blues Foundation Awards, has collaborated with artists from Willie Nelson to Lyle Lovett, composed music for TV shows and even has a Gibson guitar named for him. Colvin has won three Grammys and produced 13 albums, and her music has been featured in numerous motion pictures.
On Friday, Oct. 11, Old Crow Medicine Show will bring its unique sound to the Garden. The musicians recently celebrated their 25th anniversary of blues/jazz/country music as an “old-time string band”. The band has been inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, and its single “Wagon Wheel” is listed as one of the top five country singles of all time.
Garden members enjoy discounts on tickets, available at gainesvillegarden.org.
gainesville happenings
Story Time and Sensory Bins
Wednesdays through September
Story time begins on the terrace at 10 a.m., and the sensory bin is available in the Children’s Garden until Noon.
Glass in Flight
Through Sunday, Oct. 13
Created by nationally known artist Alex Heveri, the exhibition of glass and metal sculptures captures the essence of flight. Sunlight through the colored glass mimics the transparency and iridescence of insect wings, intensifying the illusion of movement and life.
Lite Bites and Garden Insights
Monday, Sept. 16, 10 a.m. - Noon
Contributing-level members and above are invited to enjoy refreshments and a behindthe-scenes presentation by Scott McMahan, the Garden’s Manager of International Plant Exploration. Look for an email with details. To upgrade to Contributing level or above, call 404-591-1544.
FallFest
Saturday, Sept. 21, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
This new event will provide enjoyment for the entire family. Enjoy live music, food, activities, performances and so much more! Plus, enjoy the Glass in Flight exhibit before it ends.
Scarecrows in the Garden
Saturday, Sept. 21 – Thursday, Oct. 31
The woodlands are stuffed with creations by local artists, members, crafters, youth groups and more. Registration ends Sept. 10.
Concert: Keb’ Mo’ & Shawn Colvin
Sunday, Sept. 29, 7 p.m.
The singer-songwriters perform in the Ivester Amphitheater. Discount tickets available to Garden members at gainesvillegarden.org
Concert: Old Crow Medicine Show
Friday, Oct. 11, 8 p.m.
The Ivester Amphitheater welcomes an outdoor performance by the alt-country/ folk string band. Discount tickets available to Garden members at gainesvillegarden.org
Keb’ Mo’ & Shawn Colvin
Old Crow Medicine Show
membersonly
Member Appreciation Month
September is Member Appreciation Month! Enjoy extra member discounts or perks on-site at Longleaf restaurant, at the Snack Bar and in the Gift Shop; special discounts at participating garden centers; and the chance to win great prizes including a weekend stay at the Four Seasons Hotel and Garden Lights, Holiday Nights tickets.
SUPPORTING & ABOVE MEMBERS
Strings in the Garden
Monday, Sept. 9, 6 - 9 p.m.
Supporting-level members and above are invited to a delightful evening under the treetops of Storza Woods to mingle with fellow members while indulging in delicious hors d’oeuvres and drinks with a backdrop of live string music. Invitations will be mailed. To upgrade to the Supporting level or above, call 404-591-1544.
CONTRIBUTING AND ABOVE MEMBERS
Light Bites & Garden Insights
Gainesville: Monday, Sept. 16, 10:30 a.m. - Noon
Contributing-level members and above are invited to enjoy refreshments and a behindthe-scenes presentation by Scott McMahan, the Garden’s Manager of International Plant Exploration. Look for an email with details. To upgrade to Contributing level or above, call 404-591-1544.
DONOR-LEVEL MEMBERS
Skyline Picnic
Monday, Sept. 30, 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Mix and mingle at this exclusive event for Donor-level members in the Skyline Garden while enjoying a fall evening of tasty food and live music. Invitations will be mailed. To upgrade to Donor level: 404-591-1544.
Learn more at atlantabg.org/memberevents
QUESTIONS? Call 404-591-1539 or email membership@atlantabg.org
Member Fall Evening
Gainesville: Saturday Oct. 5, 5 – 8 p.m.
Atlanta: Monday, Oct. 21, 5 – 8 p.m.
Enjoy an evening of family-friendly activities, Scarecrows in the Garden, live music, food for purchase and a complimentary member treat.
Garden Lights, Holiday Nights
Member Premiere
Thursday, Nov. 14, 5– 10 p.m.
Be among the first to experience the 14th annual show at the lowest ticket price of the season! Can’t attend the premiere? Members enjoy a generous discount on most ticket types and may purchase as many as they like for family and friends.
SUPPORT
THE GARDEN AS A VOLUNTEER!
Discovery Volunteer Training
September 14, 10 a.m. – noon.
Teach Garden visitors about plant collections, conservation work and exhibitions. Volunteers have talking points and materials to answer questions and enhance the guest experience.
Learn to greet and direct visitors through the light show. Volunteers must attend the introductory orientation session and commit to volunteering for five shifts during the show.
Docent Tour Guide Training
Learn to lead children’s groups on guided tours in the Garden. Training is held on Fridays, Jan. 31 - March 14, 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Volunteers must attend an interview, submit a background check, complete a seven-week class, shadow three tours and lead two tours per month.
To learn more contact Volunteer Manager
Josh Todd at jtodd@atlantabg.org.
404-888-GROW
planthotline@atlantabg.org
Is fall too early to start planning for next spring and summer’s vegetable garden? Fall is the perfect time to start planning. Starting with a drawing of the dedicated planting area will allow you to see how much space can be allotted. Then research the plants you want to grow; growing requirements and growth habits will allow you to determine their placement. Numerous websites offer garden plans, and utilize the resources of your county extension office. Be sure to consider the location of your water source and sunlight exposure. Fall weather will provide excellent temperatures for cleaning up the soon-to-be garden area before chilly temperatures set in.
