This past weekend we took a short trip to the Georgia Botanical Gardens, located in Athens, Georgia. It was a pleasant April day – cool, wind blowing – relaxing.
We wound our way through I’d say three quarters of the paved trails of the gardens, spending around 2-3 hours doing this. Going in the spring is a great time to see all of the blooming foliage. There are also an additional five miles of more rugged trails that I have yet to check out.
The gardens are broken in several themes including:
1. Heritage Garden
2. International Garden
3. Shade Garden
4. Native Flora Garden
5. Flower Garden
6. Middle Oconee River
Heritage Garden info:
“The Heritage Garden contains plants of historic and socioeconomic interest to Georgia. Included in this garden are ornamentals such as heirloom annuals and perennials and antique roses; fruit crops such as apples, pears, and peaches; row crops such as cotton, tobacco, and peanuts; and a selection of plants native to Georgia.” - Georgia Bot. website
International Garden info:
“…International Garden pays homage to three plant hunters whose work has had significant influence in the American South—the Bartrams, father and son (who named Franklinia in honor of Benjamin Franklin) and Ernest Henry “Chinese” Wilson whose Asian introductions have proven well adapted to the Southeast.” - Georgia Bot. website
Shade Garden info:
“Prominent architectural features of the Shade Garden are the wisteria covered arbor situated on the Azalea District Plaza and the Mathis Plaza with pool and sculpture, La Grazia Dello Stelo (The Graceful Stem) by Athens sculptor John Kehoe. The Mathis Plaza honors the first president of the Friends of the Garden, William Mathis. The Shade Garden is most colorful in spring when the dogwoods and azaleas are in flower but is interesting year-round.” – Georgia Bot. website
Native Flora Garden info:
“Many of the species found here are woodland species, some rare, threatened or endangered. Other rare, threatened, and endangered species can be found in the Bog Garden and Threatened and Endangered Plants section of the International Garden.” – Georgia Bot. website
Flower Garden info:
“The Herb Garden contains collections of herbs used for culinary, dye, fragrance, and ceremonial purposes; medicinal herbs are displayed in the Physic Garden reminiscent of a 17th century knot garden. These two gardens represent the Middle Ages.” - Georgia Bot. website
There is also a tropical conservatory that you might want to check out as well. Which, I’ve dropped in some details below.
“The Visitor Center/Conservatory features a permanent collection showcasing these diverse crops. Examples include mahogany and bamboo used for furnishings; palms that provide timber, food, fiber, soap, oil, and fuel; and tropical spices used to flavor and preserve our food. Cinnamon, allspice, turmeric, cardamom, ginger, and pepper have been valued for thousands of years and continue to be used worldwide.” – Georgia Bot. website
Here are a selection of snapshots from the gardens to give you an idea of whats there.
