Georgia Magazine - June 2017 - 33

ERICA GLASENER

The 18th-century-inspired landscaping of
the Swan House includes pools, fountains
and cascading roses such as the Lady
Banks rose shown here.
June 2017

There is also a chestnut orchard
created in partnership with the American Chestnut Foundation in support
of its efforts to reintroduce hybrid
chestnuts to the native chestnut's former range. [For more about restoring
the American chestnut, see "Restoring
Georgia's mighty giants," April 2016,
page 21; bit.ly/2restcnut.]
The Mary Howard Gilbert Memorial Quarry Garden, a former 3-acre
gneiss quarry, is home to one of the
state's largest collections of native
plants. Its unique setting is about 25
feet below grade and includes two
waterfalls, a pond, a creek and nesting red-shouldered hawks.
Botanical highlights of the quarry
garden include spring wildflowers,
hardy palm trees such as Sabal minor, a champion fringe tree (Chionanthus virginicus) and huge native
ferns. Meandering trails let visitors get
up close to appreciate the plants, but
this garden also may be viewed from
above on the walkway that overlooks
the quarry.
Even the rarest plants have a
hard time competing for attention
with the animals at the Smith Family
Farm, a stark contrast to the highrises and luxury homes in the surrounding neighborhood. Thanks to
the hard work of Atlanta preservationists in the late 1960s, the 1840s
Tullie Smith Farmhouse and other
historic farm outbuildings were relocated from east Atlanta to the Atlanta
History Center property.
The site today represents a snapshot of what was once an 800-acre
farm with field crops, a family vegetable garden, flowers, native plants,
goats, chickens and heritage-breed
turkeys.
The Sims Asian Garden honors
local resident Rebecca White Cherry
Sims, whose collection of Japanese
maples and azaleas was brought to
this garden in her memory and forms
the core of the Asian plant collection.
The Frank A. Smith Memorial
Rhododendron Garden honors the
influential Atlanta nurseryman and
showcases rhododendrons, azaleas
and other plants well-suited to the
Atlanta area, including heirloom speMore online at www.georgiamagazine.org

ATLANTA HISTORY CENTER

sion is beautifully and thoughtfully
presented in the landscapes of the
Goizueta Gardens, the open-air companion to the museum," Roberts says.
"This is a particularly unique
public garden nationwide, because it
emphasizes the local culture and
demonstrates how the use of the land
has changed through a variety of gardens that are all true to the Atlanta
area at different periods in history."
The Swan House gardens were
designed by Atlanta's premier early20th-century architect, Philip Trammel Shutze. The Swan Woods Trail, a
10-acre swath of forest adjacent to the
Swan House, showcases the secondgrowth Piedmont forest and serves as
an outdoor lab for schoolchildren.
The Wood Family Cabin originally stood not far from the Chattahoochee River, near the Creek village
of Standing Peachtree. The cabin was
donated by descendants of pioneer
Atlanta settlers and relocated to the
Swan Woods, where it is now surrounded by a wildflower meadow
and a pair of honeybee hives.

Pond and bog habitats with wild orchids
and native water and carnivorous plants are
features of the quarry garden.

cies and more-unusual selections.
All of the gardens at the Atlanta
History Center got their start from
strong local support from garden
clubs, plant societies and luminaries in
the horticultural field. Today, this public garden employs seven people on
the gardens and living collections staff.
Anna Rose Gable, urban agriculturist for the gardens, says: "I love the
way the Atlanta History Center constantly reimagines our buildings and
grounds to create immersive experiences for our visitors that not only
convey facts but evoke emotion. Our
staff truly brings the past to life."
The Atlanta History Center is located at 130 West Paces Ferry Road
N.W. in Atlanta. The center is open
daily, except for certain holidays. Call
(404) 814-4000 or visit atlantahistory
center.com for more information on
hours and the cost of admission.
Erica Glasener is a horticulturist
and author living in Atlanta. She is the
marketing manager for Gibbs Gardens in Ball Ground.

web exclusive

For the featured plant of the
month, see page 38B of the
June 2017 digital edition, online
web exclusive
at georgiamagazine.org.
33

http://www.bit.ly/2restcnut http://www.atlantahistorycenter.com http://www.atlantahistorycenter.com http://www.georgiamagazine.org http://www.georgiamagazine.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - June 2017