Atlanta A-Bloom: Best Gardens Around Atlanta
Tulips, daffodils and other beautiful flowers are blooming all around us! Visit some of the most colorful gardens in Atlanta and beyond.
Table of Contents
For a Fee:
Atlanta Botanical Garden
Located next to Piedmont Park, this gorgeous garden has plenty of beautiful blooms. You’ll also see dozens of permanent art installations, including sculptures, water features, and glass works by Dale Chihuly. Stop by the Fuqua Orchid Center to experience thousands of beautiful orchids and see the Storza Woods from above on the Canopy Walk The two-acre Lou Glenn Children’s Garden features a Flower Bridge, a stepped vegetable garden, springtime flowers and honeybees for play and fun. $26.95-$29.95; ages 3-12, $23.95-$26.95; ages 2 and younger, free.
Atlanta Botanical Garden, Gainesville
This smaller botanical garden has babbling brooks, woodlands, a forest pond with water lilies and lotus flowers, azaleas, hydrangeas and more. The Ada Mae Pass Ivester Children’s Garden has hands-on elements to highlight earth, wind, fire and water, along with a Treehouse and Rock Climb, a dragon, giant frog plant sculptures and a mini Fairyland Trolley. $14.95; ages 3-12, $12.95; ages 2 and younger, free.
Atlanta History Center
This 33-acre experience features Goizueta Gardens with nine distinct areas. Stop by the Quarry Garden for camellias, waterfalls and native Georgia plants. See tons of rhododendrons in the Rhododendron Garden, eastern plants in the Asian Garden, and the Smith Farm Gardens even has animals! $24; ages 4-12, $10; ages 3 and younger, free.
Callaway Gardens
Travel to Pine Mountain to discover gorgeous views and plants. In spring, thousands of azaleas bloom vibrantly, and pretty hydrangeas peak in late May. Walk or bike the trails, stop by the Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center to spot butterflies, and see a Birds of Prey show. $24.99-$29.99; ages 3-11, $19.99-$24.99; ages 2 and younger, free.
Chattahoochee Nature Center
Enjoy wildlife programs, hiking, environmental education, horticulture and more at this Roswell nature destination. The native plant garden features more than 600 Georgia plant species. There are plenty of events for children, families and adults year-round. $20; ages 13-18, $16; ages 3-12, $14; ages 2 and younger, free.
Gibbs Gardens
Take a short drive to Ball Ground to walk these beautiful grounds. In early spring, you can spot daffodils, cherry blossoms, tulips and dogwoods. Later in the season, see azaleas, ferns, roses, rhododendrons, hydrangeas and water lilies. In the Valley area, visit the Japanese Gardens, Monet Waterlily Gardens, Rose Gardens, Fern Dell and more. $25; ages 3-17, $10; ages 2 and younger, free.
Smith-Gilbert Gardens
Experience the permanent art collection surrounded by more than 20,000 daffodils. This 17-acre area also features a camellia garden, a tea house and waterfall area, a rose garden and a conifer display. The Bonsai Exhibit opens in April for beautiful bonsai trees. $10; ages 3-17, $5; ages 2 and younger, free.
For Free:
Oakland Cemetery
Historically, cemetery lots were gardened by family members to create a small bit of heaven, and the Oakland Cemetery draws inspiration from this tradition in its pleasure gardens. In spring, see thousands of daffodils, flowering trees and garden mums. The location is also home to more than 1,400 trees, including mature trees that are nearly 200 years old!
Lake Claire Community Trust
The community-run garden relies on visitor donations and is built piece by piece over time, resulting in something new each visit. Artistic installations, ponds, paths and a variety of flower beds bring the area together, including a child-focused garden. Don’t forget to visit Big Lou the emu and feed him raw fruits, vegetables and crackers.
Cator Woolford Gardens
These historic gardens offer a rare glimpse into 1920s Atlanta. See Italian-style architecture, flowers, woods, the rustic, woodsy Hollow with a pond and more as you walk around. The gardens are open seven days a week; check online before visiting to see if they’re closed for a private event.
Downtown Daffodil Project
The Daffodil Project aims to build a Living Holocaust Memorial by planting 1.5 million daffodils around the world. In Atlanta, walk the “ribbon of consciousness” from the Center for Civil and Human Rights to the King Center, which features 275,000 daffodils.
Woodlands Garden
This garden is divided into two major horticultural focus areas. The Georgia Piedmont Native Garden features native trees, including ironwoods, tulip trees, white oaks and red maples, and in spring, see them bloom with yellow, pink, white and orange buds. The Morse Family Heritage Garden showcases azaleas, rhododendrons, hydrangeas, Japanese maples, ferns and more.
State Botanical Garden of Georgia
Part of the University of Georgia, this stunning garden boasts daylilies, daffodils, irises, roses, peonies, woodlands, snapdragons, azaleas, magnolias and more. The International Garden has history, culture, horticulture and botany from around the world. Drop by in May to walk the Hummingbird Trail. The Alice H. Richards Children’s Garden is a learning environment with themed gardens, edible landscapes, hands-on plots and interpretive elements.
Wylde Center
With five greenspaces in four different Decatur and Atlanta neighborhoods, explore an adobe playhouse, bees, a pond, chickens, a cat named Cardoon, woodland paths, a butterfly garden, a creek, Hobbit Houses and more. Serving as a demonstration garden, Edgewood Community Learning Garden has fruit trees, veggie beds, compost bins, pollinator plants, ornamentals, a rain garden and a play area with a treehouse.