Atlanta Botanical Gardens Continued from page 11
Lilburn Day Camp Continued from page 15 them get acclimated to the schedule and day-to-day activities, and they can be flexible when it comes to the amount of time a volunteer can give. “We have great volunteers,” Deanna says. “Some of them were campers when I was the director, and now they’re back working and volunteering, and that’s just really cool.” Deanna says they would love to see more younger kids signing up to attend the camp. Currently, their biggest source of promotion is word of mouth. The camp is always held the first full week in June, and they are already busy planning for next year. Next year’s camp theme is “Beyond the Stars.” Deanna has seen the camp change and evolve, but one thing she says has remained constant – the fringe benefits. “The most rewarding thing about being a part of the camp all these years are the fringe benefits of all the hugs and smiles from the campers,” Deanna says. More information at https://lilburndaycamp.org/
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to other botanical gardens nationwide, but this is their debut appearance. Like most of our gardens this year, the ABG suffered from a deep freeze at the end of last December. Some plants didn’t make it, and some are very slowly recovering. However, this won’t affect a visitor’s enjoyment of the flourishing plentiful plants that survived. A Japanese garden within the gardens is a place for quiet reflection and meditation, and there is a beautiful display of lights and music during the Christmas holidays. Orchids are on display inside the Fuqua Orchid Center, with annual special exhibits. The Longleaf Restaurant in ABG offers full-service dining and has excellent reviews. Membership in ABG has many perks and special events, including discounts at the gift shop, cocktails in the garden, musical events, previews of exhibits, and classes for adults and children. It’s a lovely place for taking photos of weddings and other special events. Part of the permanent collection, and one of my favorite features in the garden, is a very large sculpture called Earth Goddess. Her head is covered with different flowers and plants, changing with the seasons. There are also two large glass sculptures by Dale Chihuly in different parts of the gardens. The Atlanta Botanical Gardens first opened in 1976, and there are two locations, 1345 Piedmont Avenue, NE, in Atlanta, and 911 Sweetbay Drive, Gainesville, GA., which opened in 2015. The Gainesville location is smaller, but is a little gem! The most recent exhibit, La Calavera Catrina, was there until August 27th. The exhibit featured nine large fiberglass sculptures of Mexican artists, including Frida Kahlo. Ricardo Soltero, an artist from Los Angeles, created these colorful sculptures. They represent Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, but it is a celebration of life, not death. These celebrations are part of Mexican and Latin American culture and include a celebration of the Monarch butterflies, which migrate to Mexico from Canada and the US every winter. There is also a wonderful children’s garden and playground, including Fairytale Fridays at 11 a.m., where young children can come dressed as their favorite fairytale characters and participate in a fairytale parade. More information at www.atlantabg.org
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