COVER STORY
Grand gardens flower from Atlanta to the north Georgia mountains Logan C. Ritchie The scent of camelias. The crunch underfoot of tiny, gray gravel. The rhythmic swish of a water fountain. There’s nothing quite like a stroll through a garden to engage the senses and let the world melt away. In fact, research has shown levels of depression and stress decrease when immersed in nature. Atlantans are lucky to live in a gardening zone that gives life to a wide range of trees, shrubs and flowers. Local gardens change with the seasons as azaleas and rhododendrons emerge in the spring, ferns and flowers explode in the summer, and, come fall, trees show new colors across the north Georgia mountains. Here are some nearby gardens to visit.
neighborhood of Lake Claire, this hidden gem is frequently enjoyed by neighbors. Address: 1815 S. Ponce de Leon Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30307
the Atlanta Historical Society established its headquarters there. Goizueta Gardens has 33 acres of woodland gardens and trails steeped in local history.
Contact: 404-377-3836 or www.catorwoolfordgardens.org
Address: 130 West Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta, GA 30305
Hours: Daily, sunrise to sunset, unless an event is be held.
Contact: 404-814-4000 or www. atlantahistorycenter.com/buildings-andgrounds/swan-house/
Cost: Free.
Georgia State University Perimeter College Native Plant Botanical Garden is located near the southeast corner of I-285 and I-20. In 1990, botany professor George Sanko established the garden. Over the years it has become known for indigenous plants including azaleas, magnolias, viburnums, pitcher plants, sundews and carnivorous plants, wildflowers and ferns.
Contact: 678-891-2668 or www.sites.gsu.edu/pcnativegarden
Address: 1345 Piedmont Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30309
Contact: 770-919-0248 or www.smithgilbertgardens.com
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. from May to October. Check the website for hours outside of these months. Cost: Entry fees range from $25 to $50. Flex tickets cost more but allow for flexibility due to weather or unforeseen circumstances. Parking rates vary.
Cator Woolford Garden is best known as an event venue. On 39 acres of old growth forest, visitors will find landscapes fit for a family photo or hour of exploration. In the intown
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Cost: Tickets are free for age 4 and under, $10 for ages 4-12, $20 for students and seniors, and $24 for adults. Parking is free.
Address: 1911 Sweetbay Drive, Gainesville, GA 30501 Contact: 404-888-4760 or www.atlantabg.org/gainesville-garden Hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from March 1 to Oct. 31. Check the website the remainder of the year. Cost: Timed tickets are required for nonmembers. Children under 3 years old are
Address: 3251 Panthersville Road, Decatur, GA, 30034
Metro Atlanta: Atlanta Botanical Gardens in Midtown Atlanta is displaying large scale origami pieces throughout the garden until midOctober, when the landscape will transform to a spooky Halloween treat. The origami installation features nearly 70 museumquality metal sculptures inspired by the Japanese art of folding paper by Santa Fe artists Kevin and Jennifer Box, Te Jui Fu, Beth Johnson, Michael G. LaFosse and Robert L. Lang. Visitors can enjoy cocktails in the garden with live music from Tuesday to Sunday, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Contact: 404-876-5859 or www.atlantabg.org
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; historic homes open at 11 a.m.
month. On the first Saturday of the month through October, attend cocktails in the garden until 8 p.m. Ada Mae Pass Ivester Children’s Garden is open for little explorers who love fairies, dragons and magic.
Hours: Daily from dawn to dusk. Cost: Free. Visitors may park in Lot 5 for GPC staff and students.
Smith-Gilbert Gardens in Kennesaw is a family friendly property with events and classes. Visitors can learn about a wide range of topics from Native American Cherokee plants and agriculture to ecosystems. Must see: the bonsai collection, an award-winning butterfly exhibit and hummingbirds. Address: 2382 Pine Mountain Road, Kennesaw, GA 30152
Hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cost: Tickets are timed. Free for children under 3, $5 for ages 3-17 and military/ students, $10 for adults and $8 for seniors over 65.
Swan House is poised on West Paces Ferry Road, one of the poshest stretches of road in Atlanta. Located behind the Atlanta History Center, Swan House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The home was occupied by the original family until 1966 when
AUGUST 2022 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com
Georgia State University Perimeter College Native Plant Botanical Garden. Photo by Donna P. Williams
Woodlands Gardens is an urban sanctuary about a mile from downtown Decatur. Piedmont native gardens feature iris, camelias and pollinators with an occasional spotting of wild mushrooms (not for foraging). Note: Dogs are best left at home. Address: 932 Scott Boulevard, Decatur, GA, 30030 Contact: 404-373-2222 or www.woodlandsgarden.org Hours: Daily from dawn to dusk. Cost: Free. Parking is limited, so Woodlands encourages carpooling or biking.
Further afield: Atlanta Botanical Gardens in Gaineville has just as much to offer as its older sibling in midtown Atlanta. Tai chi, storybook time and birding classes are all on the docket this
free; children ages 3 to 12 are $12.95; and adults are $14.95. Onsite parking is free.
Barnsley Gardens is better known as part of the resort and spa in Adairsville, but the gardens are spectacular. Wander in and about Woodlands, the manor house ruins at Barnsley Gardens, and feel the grandeur of Godfrey Barnsley’s creation. Built for Barnsley’s wife, Julia, what is left of the Italianate style villa is romantic and peaceful, covered in wild greenery. Address: 597 Barnsley Gardens Road, Adairsville, GA 30103 Contact: 770-773-7480 or www.barnsleyresort.com Hours: Daily from sunrise to sunset, unless it is booked for an event. Cost: Free.
