Atlanta Botanical GardenGainesville Opens Expansion

By Collin Kelley

Five years ago, the Atlanta Botanical Garden opened its Gainesville Garden, just an hour north of the city, to much acclaim. The outpost has become a favorite spot for locals and visitors alike, and now its growing with the addition of a children’s garden.

Located on land donated by Charles and Lessie Smithgall, phase one of the project was five acres, but the new Ada Mae Pass Ivester’s Children’s Garden adds an additional 2.5 acres. With its whimsical fairy houses, places to crawl and climb and tooting miniature trains, the new garden is sure to delight children of all ages.

The Gainesville Garden will eventually grow to 168 acres and is destined to be one of the largest and most diverse woodland gardens in the country, including the largest conservation nursery in the Southeast.

The Gainesville garden makes for a perfect day trip, or perhaps a stop on leisurely longer one to Lake Lanier or the mountains.

The garden is divided into sections, all easily accessible up gently rolling paved pathways. Just behind the sleek visitors center is the Forest Pond where flowering water lilies and other aquatic plants float and surround the surface.

Also just beyond the visitors center is the Ivester Amphitheater, which plays host to concerts and events on a regular basis. The curving, grassy terraces can seat 2,200 people with ample room to spread out a picnic.

Head up the pathway into the Overlook Garden, which features perennials, shrubs and ornamental trees. Butterflies seemed to particularly enjoy this part of the garden. There’s also comfortable seating along the paths to rest and observe the flora and fauna.

Perhaps the most beautiful section is the Stream Garden, a woodland hillside with a dramatic, cascading waterfall surrounded by wildflowers and hydrangeas. The curving path and series of wooden bridges offer amply places to stop and snap photos.

For those who want a longer walk, the half-mile Sourwood Trail and Holly Ridge Trail take visitors into the woods surrounding the garden. Native hollies, rhododendrons, witch hazel and shade trees make for good scenery along the hilly terrain.

Visit atlantabg.org and click on Gainesville for more details and directions. Because of the coronavirus pandemic opening times and events might have changed.

A day after Atlanta hosted the finest marathoners in the country at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Team Trials on Feb. 29, runners filled the streets of this city once again on March 1 as more than 13,000 participated in the Publix Atlanta Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K. Wrapping up a celebration billed as America’s Marathon Weekend, the race attracted runners from across the country on a running tour of Atlanta on a picture-perfect day. (Photos courtesy Atlanta Track Club)