Georgia Magazine - March 2021 - 39

COURTESY ATLANTA BOTANICAL GARDEN

Garden Director Jennifer Cruse-Sanders
felt that the public needed the garden
more than ever.
" It's very important to us not only
to be a place for learning and inspiration but also for health and wellness, "
Cruse-Sanders says.
The staff quickly created new
signage, communicated with visitors
and volunteers, and complied with ever-changing regulations
and guidelines.
" Our staff has remained remarkably positive and productive ... As horticulturists, conservationists and educators, they
have the ability to imagine the future. This will help us all to
stay as positive as possible as we get through a difficult time, "
she says.
The garden closed its buildings and children's garden but
still welcomed about 50,000 socially distanced visitors between
March and June. Smith-Gilbert Gardens and the Atlanta Botanical Garden (ABG) in both Atlanta and Gainesville reopened
in May. The Atlanta Botanical Garden and ABG Gainesville
opened seven days a week (instead of six) with extended hours
to compensate for limiting guest capacity.

Gardens adapt to new conditions
Despite the pandemic, the gardens moved forward with
planned projects. The State Botanical Garden improved accessibility with a new pedestrian entrance and elevator, accessible
parking and an ADA-compliant, paved path from a parking lot
to a new outlook along the Middle Oconee River.

This humorous sign offering
directions to last year's Alice's
Wonderland Reimagined exhibit at the
Atlanta Botanical Garden reminds
visitors about social-distancing
requirements.

The garden's education staff
created numerous videos as part of
virtual school programs and worked
with UGA to develop and print recipes
to distribute at food banks with fresh
produce grown in the children's garden. Classes that normally
were held in person switched to a virtual format.
The opening of the garden's two new additions, the Center
for Art and Nature Porcelain and Decorative Arts Museum and
the Discovery and Inspiration Garden, was postponed because
of the pandemic, but both are expected to be open on a limited
basis this spring.
Smith-Gilbert Gardens' annual hummingbird-banding
event in September, which usually attracts hundreds of visitors,
moved to Facebook last year and received nearly 7,000 views.
(For more about this event, see " Tracking Georgia's hummingbirds, " August 2020, page 16; bit.ly/track0820.) The garden's
popular, open-air butterfly house was recently expanded, which
will allow more people to visit it this summer.
Many public gardens are scheduling in-person classes
again. Social-distancing requirements may mean fewer seats
are available, and classes may fill up quickly. Visit garden
websites for hours, locations and class and event listings,
including bulb displays and spring plant sales.
Connie Cottingham is a garden and travel writer based
in Athens.

Left: The Oriental Garden at the Atlanta Botanical Garden is
an oasis of serenity in an urban environment. Nonmembers
must have timed tickets for admission to the garden.

CONNIE COTTINGHAM

What's growing on
Below is a list of classes and events at some of Georgia's public gardens.
Please call or check garden websites to ensure that these events are taking
place before you go.
* Atlanta Blooms! March 1-April 30, Atlanta Botanical Garden, Atlanta.
See thousands of blooming tulips, daffodils, crocuses and hyacinths and
learn how to grow bulbs. (404) 876-5859. atlantabg.org.
* Tulips of Every Color - Color Theory, March 23, Atlanta Botanical
Garden, Gainesville. Capture spring color in the garden by working with
acrylic paints. (404) 888-4760. atlantabg.org/gainesville-garden.
* Drop-In Family Program: Natural Egg Dying, March 26, Atlanta
Botanical Garden, Atlanta. Learn about plants that contain powerful dyes
and create three dyed eggs. (404) 876-5859. atlantabg.org.
* Art Blooms, April 1-May 28, Smith-Gilbert Gardens, Kennesaw.
Bulb displays, art exhibits and demonstrations. (770) 919-0248.
smithgilbertgardens.com.
* Road Trips for Garden Geeks, April 13, State Botanical Garden of Georgia,
Athens. Take a virtual tour of public gardens and natural areas in Georgia
and the Carolinas. (706) 542-1244. botgarden.uga.edu.
www.georgiamagazine.org

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http://www.bit.ly/track0820 http://www.atlantabg.org http://www.atlantabg.org/gainesville-garden http://www.atlantabg.org http://www.smithgilbertgardens.com http://botgarden.uga.edu http://www.georgiamagazine.org
Georgia Magazine - March 2021

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