Places for Plant Lovers

I am starting a regular feature for you plant lovers, highlighting places around the world you might enjoy visiting or reading about in my blog. Today, I would like to tell you about two special spots in Atlanta, where my mom resides. Although it is a major city, Atlanta is exceptionally green, full of beautiful parks, lush gardens and a subtropical climate. It is a haven for gardeners, who plant colorful foliage and flowers year-round. 

The Atlanta Botanical Garden is nestled on  30 acres in urban Midtown. It features the country's largest collection of species orchids, which live in a 16,000-square-foot conservatory, the Fuqua Orchid Center. Visit between February and April for the Orchid Daze exhibit, when thousands of orchids from around the globe are in bloom.

Visit anytime to see the Garden's beautiful grounds, including rose, edible, Japanese and children's gardens, as well as a High Elevation Greenhouse. Over the past year, large glass sculptures by Dale Chihuly were featured for a special exhibit. Don't miss the Canopy Walk, a 45-foot-high elevated walkway through a historic hardwood forest.

 

Atlanta Botanical Garden
1345 Piedmont Ave., Atlanta GA
www.atlantabg.org

Just north of the Garden, tucked into the exclusive neighborhood of Buckhead, is a hidden treasure for gardeners, interior designers and lovers of beautiful things. Boxwoods is located in an old, charming, rambling house filled with handsome, curated spaces, an antique greenhouse, boutique and courtyard garden. It is fun to wander through interesting collections of garden ornaments, antique furnishings, unusual containers and plants, as well as artful floral arrangements. Trust me, this place will inspire you to redesign your own home and garden, or at least add some lovely, unique touches.  

 

  


Boxwoods
100 E. Andrews Drive, Atlanta GA
www.boxwoodsonline.com

Photos: From top to bottom: Earth Goddess, 25-foot-high living sculpture, Atlanta Botanical Garden; Fuqua Orchid House; Canopy Walk, Atlanta Botanical Garden; Rainforest Conservatory, Atlanta Botanical Garden; all remaining photos are of Boxwoods, Atlanta. All photos by Melanie Birk.