| Each themed garden depicts the story of a particular group of people who interacted with this land and its plants in distinctive ways. Interpretive signs are displayed throughout the Historic Gardens to describe how different cultures utilized various plants for food, medicine, clothing, shelter, and ornamentation. |
| The Mary Howard Gilbert Memorial Quarry Garden |
The 3-acre Quarry Garden shelters the state’s most comprehensive collection (nearly 600 species) of plants native to pre-settlement Georgia, many of which are rare and/or endangered. See plants like the Franklin Tree (Franklinia alatamaha), discovered on banks of GA’s Altamaha River and now extinct in the wild; the yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria), a signature plant of Southeastern Native Americans; and various species of native azaleas (Rhododendron spp.).
Situated in the center of the garden’s serene landscape lays a glistening pond and bog garden that provides habitat for native water plants, carnivorous plants, and wild orchids while attracting birds and woodland creatures. |
| Tullie Smith Farm Gardens |
| Stroll through the versatile gardens that rural Georgians maintained for pleasure and utility in the 1860s. A fenced vegetable garden provides heirloom produce for the mid-nineteenth century kitchen, while corn and cotton fill a quarter acre devoted to moneymaking field crops. Old fashioned ornamental flowers such as love-lies-bleeding (Amaranthus sp.) and rose campion (Lychnis coronaria) grace the enclosed front yard of swept dirt. A slave’s personal vegetable garden, common in 1860s Georgia, lies beside a small cabin behind the main farmhouse. |
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| Cherry Sims Asian American Garden |
| Observe how Asian plants and their American counterparts co-mingle in this informal woodland setting. Extensive collections of maples (Acer spp.), hydrangeas (Hydrangea spp. & cvs.), and herbaceous plants flourish under towering trees. While many of these plants are the backbone of Atlanta-area gardens, the amazing similarities between the Asian and American varieties lead to much speculation among scientists. |
| Swan House Gardens and Grounds |
| Experience lavish gardens awaiting beyond the splendid gates of the historic Swan House. The illustrious, 18th century-inspired landscape, created in the 1920’s by renowned architect Philip Trammell Shutze, features a pair of cloverleaf pools with cascading fountains, a terraced lawn, and roses tumbling over a stone retaining wall. The breathtaking ambiance surrounding the Swan House Garden has made the site one of the most photographed in Atlanta Georgia. |
| Frank A. Smith Rhododendron Garden |
| From giant elephant ears (Colocasia esculenta) to dainty peacock moss (Selaginella uncinata), the Rhododendron Garden’s contemporary design is rich with shade-loving plants that flourish in Atlanta. An intimate pond and a dry streambed are bordered by an abundance of rhododendrons (Rhododendron spp. & cvs.), small flowering trees, and eclectic ground covers. This garden is perfect for individuals seeking inspiration for their own shaded landscape. |
| Contact, Address & Website |
| Telephone: 404-814-4000 - Address: Atlanta History Center, 130 West Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta Georgia 30305 - Atlanta History Center Gardens Website |
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Georgia Gardens 
