Summer is the time to explore and the garden, any garden, is one of my favorite summer pastimes. We have spent a week in Atlanta and there is much to be explored of interest to the gardener! Our first stop before we had even checked into the hotel was the Botanical Garden. The Atlanta Botanical Garden is sooooo much more than a garden! If I lived there, I would be (at least) a weekly visiter because there is so much to see in the gardens and I would be participating in the many programs that they host. First, I must mention that when approaching the gardens it feels like you are entering a large park with a friendly walking path entry. There were many joggers and dog walkers enjoying the pre-garden to the garden! The multi-level parking garage allows you to park at just the right level to enter the Botanical Garden, so parking is easy peasy! (not always the case in the center of Atlanta) So, let’s go in and see what they have to offer!

One of the first exhibits, right outside the Visitor’s Center and a pre-cursor to what we were going to find, was Pegasus, made from flowers, leaves and grasses.  Oh, my! He was on the border of the Southern Seasons Garden and the Camellia Walk which lead to the Gardens of the Storza Woods and other trails. We didn’t have time to explore this section today, so we decided to make that first on another visit……….already we were discovering there was a lot to see and it would take multiple visits to enjoy all the features!

Here is a good look at the front of Pegasus!

We continued on our way to the Longleaf Restaurant that is in the gardens, our first stop. We were hungry after our drive and wanted to see what kind of fare would be offered in the restaurant. We enjoyed a very good light meal (it was noonish) with wine and then were back in the garden to explore. We came across this feature next………..

In the Levy Parterre we discovered this…………..it was just so elegant, beautiful and refreshing!

There were plenty of spots to sit and rest and just take it all in…….

Or you could sit with this guy!

The flower beds went on and on into one garden after another………

Then we entered the quiet, serene, private area of the Japanese gardens…….so tranquil!

and walking  to another garden near the Great Lawn was this big boy! I was just captivated by his sheer size!

Here is a closer look at his tail! Can you imaging how many plants and hours it takes to create one of these pieces? But, we would find more!

What is this over the shrub border? The camel train! Oh, I couldn’t wait to see them up close!

It’s hard to imagine how big the flower sculptures are………

But, here is a photo with guests enjoying their walk, to give you some idea!

I just loved the hot, hot color and type of plants in this section of the garden too.

We are making our way to the Skyline Garden…….aptly named and what a great view of the city of Atlanta!

The building on the right is the Fuqua Conservatory, which is home to the largest orchid display in the United States…..I will be writing a separate post on that, because it was WONDERFUL!

Now, what is that peeking up behind the shrubs and fatsia?

Oh my goodness, the sentry of the Alice In Wonderland!

There was a special garden that was marked just for Alice and her Wonderland! Of course, it included the Mad Hatter! He was floating in an umbrella in the pool! On Thursday evenings during the Summer months the Botanical Garden offers, “Cocktails in the Garden,” to enjoy the displays to be found for their special exhibit for this season, Alice in Wonderland. There is so much to do here! Let’s see some more of the goodies……….

The gardeners were continuing to add to the displays to keep them perfect!

The Skyline Garden included this well thought out rock garden on so many levels!

And this was my favorite plant so far………because that chartreuse color is my favorite in the garden! I wrote the name of it down and now I can’t find it, of course! Please, if you know the name of this plant, let me know!

Well, this was just a few spots in this section of the Atlanta Botanical Garden! I hope you have enjoyed these gardens as much as we did…….we are about to enter the Orchid Conservatory and I know you won’t want to miss that! So, stay tuned……….

PS I found my notes! That green plant that I liked so much is a Sarracenia Alata. This species enjoys hot muggy weather and as much sunlight as you can manage. In the right conditions, it produces loads of nectar that attracts wasps and yellow jackets. Who knew!