Georgia gardens greet the world

Flower & Garden Magazine, June-July, 1996 by Ellen Henke

On July 19 Atlanta, Georgia, will capture worldwide attention when the opening ceremonies marking the 100th anniversary of the modern Olympic Games are beamed via satellite to two-thirds of the world's population. In addition, more than two million visitors are expected during the 17 days of the Games.

Garden enthusiasts attending the Games will be greeted by "Pathways of Gold" throughout the state. The Garden Club of Georgia initiated this program, designating certain plants in shades of yellow, orange and gold to be used along roadsides for a hearty Southern-style welcome to the Peach State. This floral gold will glisten against the "Georgia green" that is incorporated into every Olympic venue. Massive tree plantings are in place throughout Georgia to complement the Games' "Quilt of Leaves" theme. And two area public gardens -- Callaway Gardens and the Atlanta Botanical Garden -- are grooming their grounds in preparation for this summer's influx of international visitors.

ATLANTA BOTANICAL GARDEN

Incorporated in 1976 on city-owned land in Piedmont Park, just five minutes from downtown, the Atlanta Botanical Garden is a young garden backed by a dedicated group of volunteers. It is divided into three areas -- the 15 acres of landscaped display gardens, the Storza Woods and the Dorothy Chapman Fuqua Conservatory.

The outdoor display gardens are a living museum of more than 3,000 plants set in a landscape designed to stimulate the imagination.

A rose garden displays past, present and future All-America Rose Selections winners as well as selections based on recommendations from the Greater Atlanta Rose Society. Climbing roses on a domed trelliswork gazebo are the focal point in this pristine formal garden.

The brick wall-enclosed herb garden features an Elizabethan knot garden created with barberry, germander, green santolina and 'Munstead' lavender, all edged with 'Kingsville' dwarf boxwood. It is surrounded by borders of herbs historically used for culinary and medicinal purposes. Pots of perfectly clipped and maintained herbs accent the scene.

A pleasant and inspiring walk through the summer bulb garden, rock garden and moon garden ultimately takes visitors past the conifer collection, featuring more than 200 varieties from around the world, to the entrance of the Fuqua Conservatory. The conservatory houses more than 6,000 non-hardy plant species from tropical and desert climates. The Atlanta Botanical Garden is a rescue center for sensitive, rare, threatened or endangered plants, with the conservation of species from Madagascar being a top priority. The collection of Old-World palms in the tropical rotunda and Old-World succulents in the desert house is remarkable. You'll also thrill to the beauty of the species orchids.

Not far away lie the Storza Woods, where a 1.25-mile interpretive nature trail winds through a 15-acre wood. Atlanta Botanical Garden hopes to restore the woods to a representative Piedmont hardwood forest. The 5-acre Upper Woodland displays native Southeastern plants and cultivars in a relaxed naturalistic setting. Several of Georgia's native species grow here, including Hexalectris spicata, which blooms in midsummer and appeared naturally after the woodland was cleared of undesirable species. The backyard habitat garden contains native plants that attract wildlife, providing birds and animals with food, water and shelter. In the fern glade, native Georgia ferns thrive alongside companion plants for an enchanting effect. Large, bold cinnamon ferns (Osmunda cinnamomea) contrast with the delicate fronds of maidenhair ferns (Adiantum).

CALLAWAY GARDENS

From Atlanta it's an easy drive to Pine Mountain for a more profound encounter with nature. Secluded in a loblolly pine forest about 70 miles southwest of Atlanta, Callaway Gardens is a man-made landscape in a natural setting. Textile entrepreneur Cason Jewell Callaway and his wife, Virginia Hand Callaway, began creating the gardens in the 1930s as a retreat from the pressures of daily life. Callaway Gardens officially opened to the public in 1952.

Mr. Callaway was determined to repair the damaged Georgia land, recontouring it and planting thousands of pine seedlings. He also dammed water to create 13 magnificent lakes that mirror the beauty of the landscape. Virginia Callaway's love of native plants and wildflowers set the style for the gardens, transforming this barren land into an idyllic 2,500-acre gem.

Try to spend at least two days exploring Callaway Gardens, preferably on bicycle or on foot. The five-mile Scenic Drive and the Discovery Bicycle Trail link the various venues. Several special walking trails, such as the Rhododendron Trail and Holly Trail, were created as spurs off the main drive. In spring the azalea trails blaze with more than 700 varieties of natives and exotics, representing one of the world's largest collections. Callaway's woodland gardens are renowned for the preservation of many native species, including some endangered ones. Most notable are rhododendrons, mountain laurel, dogwoods, redbuds, crabapples, trilliums, trout lilies, bluets and violets.