Botanical Gardens, Atlanta

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Just had a nice trip to the gardens with my girlfriend, lots of spring flowers in bloom like tulips, rhododendrons, daffodils and much more---they also had an Orchid show with lots for sale and more to lust over----lots of pitcher plants as well, one of my favorites. About $30 for the both of us plus $7 for parking, definitely worth it (take MARTA buses to save a bit). There is also a great vegetable garden already started with collards, carrots and more----definitely recommended!

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A public park at the heart of Midtown area. Let's have a good relaxing day strolling down the park and visiting Atlanta Botanical Garden. Although it's not a ginormous(?) one but you'll always find something to do at Piedmont. Apart from the trees and the lake, there's also a 'dog park' where people take the 'best buddies' to play, farmers' market every Sat-Sun during summer and fall, bird-watching camps, bike-polo leagues, tango-in-the-park and lots of other events circulated all year round. Getting to the park is very easy, if taking the MARTA, you should get off at either Midtown or Arts Center and Piedmont is just a couple blocks away. The Midtown area itself has a lot to offer, from a range of restaurants to specialty shops. It's worth to spend a day in and around the hood!

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The Botanical Garden has been a center piece for the park since 1983, after 10 years in planning. It is a fabulous garden and covers 30 acres. For about 10 years in 1990's, the park and gardens were in decline, but revived in early 2002 forward. They continue to feature new and better attractions. The park itself is very large and worth a walk around the grounds. It is used by many locals in Midtown area mostly year round.

I've lived in Atlanta all my life and only recently did I go to the Botanical gardens. That was a shame. The gardens border Piedmont Park so it's a great destination to visit and follow up with a trip to the park.

The Gardens are very large with a special garden just for kids. There is an Orchid Garden as well as a wooded walking trail. Ponds are scattered throughout the garden.

The botanical gardens are located within Piedmont Park, in the northwest corner. There is a separate admission charge to enter the park , but its worth it. The park has a Japanese garden along with beds of roses, wildflowers and herbs. This is all pretty standard stuff for any botanical garden in any city, but the hardwood forest and the conservatory are something else. The forest is one of the few within city limits and the conservatoryhas a collection of desert plants, which are also unusual for this area.

Piedmont Park is a miniature version of New York's famous Central Park. The large park has miles of paths for jogging, rollerblading and bicycling. It is also home to the botanical gardens. The park has its own restaurant and a playground for kids.

Piedmont Park brings new meaning to the concept of a dog friendly park. There is a separate dog park where owners can allow their dogs to roam around unleashed, provided that the dogs are not aggressive and that the owners clean up after their dogs.

Piedmont Park is a great place to go for a run, to have a picnic on a spring or summer day or to see a parade of dogs of all shapes and sizes.

This garden is a 30 (12 hectares) acre oasis in the middle of Atlanta. It is at the north end of Piedmont Park. The Park covers almost 200 acres and is Atlanta's version of Central Park in New York. It was started in the late 19th Century as "The Gentlemen's Driving Club." The Botanical Garden began in 1985 and has come a long way. In addition to lovely grounds and landscaping it has a great Orchid Center and a large Conservatory which is home to rare and endangered tropical and desert plants. Currently (2004) there is a fantastic exhibition of Dale Chihuly's art in the garden as well as in the Conservatory. Hours: Tue-Sun 9:00-19:00 Apr-Sept; 9:00-5:00 Oct-Mar. Admission: Adults, $10; Seniors, $7; Students, $5.

If you are anywhere near Atlanta, you should try and see this exhibit! The Atlanta Botanical Garden is beautiful alone, but now Dale Chihuly has complemented that beauty with his art. This exhibit goes on until October 31, 2004.

I saw a Chihuly exhibit in Florida, it was beautiful but seeing it outside in the garden is something special. Some of the glass is hidden under different plants so it is like a treasure hunt finding the pieces, but in the hunt you might run across a tiny frog, or a turtle.

Also, they have Chihuly Nights where you can walk through the exhibit in the evening and see everything under another light. This is not everyday of the week, so you should check out the website for the times. Also, you can't enter in the day and then come back that evening. I tried but was told I would need to pay again.

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A huge variety of plants from around the world awaits you here. A must-see for any horticulturalist.