Karen needed a flower fix and the meager smattering of blooms we encountered during our mountain hikes were not enough. We took off to Ball Ground, GA to tour Gibbs Gardens’ 336-acres of meticulously-manicured gardens among meandering creeks, ponds and lakes, surrounded by mature forests
It’s still a bit early for some of the warmer-natured blooms, but the fragile tulips in this serpentine presentation were peaking in color and form.
Gibbs Gardens had some of the largest tulips we’ve seen.
The 40-acre Japanese Gardens had spring-fed ponds, islands, and more than 1,000 colorful Japanese maples, which have incredibly-soft leaves.
Mamma Duck could not have picked a prettier place to raise a dozen-downy ducklings.
My personal favorites were these Japanese Snowball trees. Their big, white, fluffy balls had surprising heft.
We left the Valley Gardens on a long and winding path to the top of the Manor House Gardens where the Gibbs family still lives in a beautiful mansion that overlooks their entire estate.
We were not sure about the nature of this orange honeysuckle until their unmistakable aroma filled the air with pungent perfume.
The swimming pool and hot tub by the Gibbs’ mansion was as exotic as the rest of their estate.
Our 2-hour stroll through Gibbs Gardens was as relaxing as it was beautiful. It made my flower-loving wife very happy. This world-class public garden will be even more stunning when the roses, wildflowers, azaleas, daffodils and rhododendrons bloom in their own cultivated garden areas.
Gibbs Gardens is only 2.5-hours from Chattanooga, but we stayed overnight in Dahlonega, GA. The quaint little town hosted our nation’s first gold rush in 1829. From the above courthouse steps, Dr. M.F. Stephenson’s oration to keep Georgia miners from heading to California in 1849 included these words, “Thar’s gold in them thar hills.”
Dahlonega is home to the University of North Georgia and the square is surrounded by tasting rooms for the many gold medal wineries clustered nearby. Great restaurants, artsy boutiques and a historic general store, full of surprising merchandise, rounds out the historic mountain character. “Gold City” is also a great base for exploring waterfall trails in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
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