Author: Margaret Bergeron

An adventurous group of Gwinnett County Master Gardeners traveled to Southern Highlands Reserve located in western North Carolina.  At an elevation of 4500’, summer is later there and we enjoyed cooler weather and different flora.  The average temperature for this date is still in the upper 70’s!  The wildflowers were in bloom and there was plenty of shade to make this July field trip a pleasure. The Reserve’s 120 acres are dedicated to celebrating the natural history of the Southern Appalachian Highlands, and was well worth a beautiful drive with friends to just inside our neighboring North Carolina.  The Highlands’ Core Park is home to destination gardens such as The Woodland Glade, The Azalea Walk, The Wildflower Labyrinth and Vaseyi Pond.  These are manicured display gardens planted with native species and their cultivars.  The Reserve is home to a vast array of naturally occurring native plants and one of the largest natural stands…

Gibbs Gardens opened to the public for the first time on March 1, 2012.  The Garden is nestled in the foothills of the North Georgia Mountains.  The Gibbs family has creatively planned and developed more than 220 acres of gardens that include 16 garden venues in the Manor House Gardens and the Valley Gardens. GCMGA members and guests enjoyed a full day of experiencing the “harmony of nature.”   We took in the Manor House Gardens with seasonal floral displays, Rose Arbor, Woodland Shade Gardens and Nature Canopy Walk. After lunch, we also toured the Valley Gardens featuring Japanese Gardens, Monet Waterlily Gardens, Grandchildren’s Sculpture Gardens, Rose Gardens, Fernery, Pleasance, Daylily and Bride’s All White Garden. Mr. Gibbs spoke to our group and provided information on his research and travels that inspired his development of a “world class” garden.  Information obtained has added to your knowledge of landscape design and provides…

Members had a unique opportunity for an exclusive preview before Smithgall Woodland Garden opens to the public!   Smithgall is a 168-acre satellite garden of the Atlanta Botanical Garden.  It is located in nearby Gainesville, where collections of trees and shrubs are grown and studied.  The Smithgall Woodland Garden expands the Botanical Garden’s current native plant conservation program, and endangered plants are propagated on the site. Additionally, plants are grown from seeds collected in Asia and evaluated for their suitability to southeastern landscapes. Many of us have purchased some of the wonderful plants propagated at this site.  We received an educational demonstration on propagation of plants by cuttings and seeds to learn how they do it.  After the demonstration, we received a behind the scenes tour of a new garden before the grand opening! We then traveled a short distance to McMahan’s Nursery.  McMahan’s is a rare plant nursery specializing in…