As the first crisp days of fall settle in, and our gardens burst with the colors of the season, I’m thrilled to share news that’s been a long time coming — and worth every ounce of patience: This year, we’re bringing a dazzling holiday light show to our Gainesville Garden!
This milestone didn’t happen overnight. We’ve dreamed of illuminating Gainesville’s woodlands and gardens with the same wonder that has captivated guests in Atlanta for years. But dreams – at least the good ones – take time, grit and a lot of teamwork. Expanding a beloved tradition isn’t as simple as flipping a switch. From thoughtful planning to safeguarding our beautiful natural spaces, we’ve made careful choices every step of the way.
So why now? Because the Gainesville Garden has grown into its own vibrant destination – a place that deserves to shine bright in every season – and because our members and community have asked when the time would come. What a wonderful way to celebrate this year’s 10th anniversary of the Gainesville Garden than by giving it a glow it so well deserves.
We’re proud to introduce Gainesville Glows: Lanterns and Lights (see page 14) as a holiday light show designed specifically for this cherished garden. While our Atlanta show dazzles with millions of sparkling lights, Gainesville Glows will create its own enchanting atmosphere with a stunning blend of glowing lanterns and delicate luminaries. Picture our woodlands bathed in a gentle, dreamlike light — winding paths lined with handcrafted lanterns, soft pools of color guiding you through the Garden’s natural beauty. It’s a completely new and different experience, both magical and serene.
Yes, there will be twinkling lights and breathtaking displays, but there also will be warm cocoa, laughter and that sense of wonder that makes the holidays unforgettable. We want families to bundle up and stroll through the Garden, making memories that last a lifetime — and yes, probably taking more photos than they’ll ever know what to do with!
None of this would be possible without your steadfast support. Your membership fuels these bright moments — literally and figuratively — and we can’t wait to share this new tradition with you. Here’s to making the Gainesville Garden glow for many years to come.
See you under the lights!
Mary Pat Matheson Anna and Hays Mershon President & CEO
Branching out
Tickets for Garden Lights go on sale September 1
Discounted tickets for Atlanta’s Garden Lights, Holiday Nights go on sale to Garden members on September 1 – one month before they’re available to the general public – and for this year’s show, trees take center stage!
The show, set for November 15 – January 11, will glow with the Garden’s storied oaks, hickories and poplars beckoning guests as always with their massive trunks wrapped in every color.
But new this year will be the addition of the 11 dazzling tree sculptures from this summer’s Enchanted Trees by Poetic Kinetics. Standing 10 to 17 feet tall, the trees feature acrylic leaves that cast dappled light and reflective, shifting colors on everything around them. Think holiday lights under a sprawling magnifying glass! Look for the sculptures to line the Flower Walk as well as anchor the Skyline Garden pond, where water will enhance the effect even more.
To make way for Enchanted Trees, the light-pulsing, rainbow-hued Glowing Grove trees will move from the Flower Walk to the entry pathway just outside the Visitor Center, making for quite the welcome for guests entering the show.
And speaking of trees, on the other side of the Garden “Nature’s Wonders” will set Storza Woods ablaze with its vertical curtain of lights descending from the treetops and synchronized to symphonic and holiday favorites, setting a festive mood along the Canopy Walk.
For tickets, visit atlantabg.org.
Garden Lights, Holiday Nights presented by Invesco QQQ is sponsored by The Home Depot Foundation, Isdell Family Foundation and Publix with support from Georgia Power.
Vice President, Marketing: Jessica Boatright
Editor: Danny Flanders | Designer: Bo Shell
Membership Manager: Claudia McDavid
Countdown to fall!
5 reasons to welcome autumn
5 It’s HOT
Need we say more? Yet, relief is in sight as the calendar turns to cooler days. In the meantime, don’t miss the final weeks of Alice’s Wonderland as Alice and her giant plant-sculpture friends take their final bows before tumbling down the rabbit hole into Garden history. You have only until September 14 to tell them so long, so don’t be late for that very important date!
4 Sticking around for Fall
will be the magically beautiful Enchanted Trees by Poetic Kinetics. The 11 colorful trees featuring dazzling acrylic leaves that cast dappled light around them will take on quite a different look as their real-tree cousins turn autumnal shades of red, orange and yellow.
3 Nothing marks the change of seasons like that fan-favorite of events, Scarecrows in the Garden! Hanging out throughout the month of October at both the Midtown and Gainesville gardens will be dozens of handmade sculptures crafted by artists, families, schools and businesses. The scarecrows compete for spooktacular prizes. Which one gets your vote? Sponsored by Audi Atlanta and Kaiser Permanente.
2 Fall brings shorter days, which means the Garden is transformed into the perfect setting for evening fun. On October Thursdays, check out the scarecrows while enjoying craft beers and live entertainment at Fest-of-Ale from 5 - 8 p.m. And on Thursday, Oct. 23, celebrate all things autumn at the annual Great Pumpkin-Carving Festival, featuring teams of talented amateur pumpkin carvers competing for grand prizes!
1 Little ones get to dress up more than on just Halloween. Sunday, Oct. 19 is a dress rehearsal of sorts when kids don their costumes for Goblins in the Garden. From 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., families
Artful entry
Second phase of Chambers Garden design lures guests to wander
A second chapter in the Anne Cox Chambers Garden’s ongoing renovation will showcase a new water feature and a rich tapestry of plantings.
Work began on the garden, designed to highlight Georgia’s yearround gardening potential with shade-loving plants, in 2022 with a new design inspired by a Japanese wood block print of a mountain and river. The overall grade was raised, walkways were expanded for a more gracious entry garden and better flow, and new plantings were added.
Project designers Sylvatica Studio described the first phase as a painting guests could stand and admire, while Phase II, launching this fall between the existing garden and Longleaf restaurant, will lend the opportunity to walk through that painting.
The new feature, a crystal clear curtain of water, will appear to rise above the existing focal point water basin as guests enter the Garden. The basin’s low stone wall will be removed so the water features, though separate, appear seamless. The slate chip pathway will be realigned and regraded to feel like a meandering riverside walkway, crossing over a water channel connecting the new water feature with the old.
Continuing the river-inspired motif, sweet flag, Acorus ‘Ogon’, and dwarf mondo grass, Ophiopogon nigrescens, once again will play a crucial part of the overall design. While maintaining some structure and formality, the design of the garden will be somewhat looser and more diverse than the original. Holly hedges, ferns, camellias, hydrangeas, Blue Dart Juncus and irises will continue the composition along with phlox, asters and goldenrod to take advantage of a sunny opening in the tree canopy.
Astilbe
Astilbe chinensis
The transformation, expected to be completed next year, promises to elevate the visitor experience even further by immersing guests in the vibrant beauty of nature’s artistry.
Garden guests are greeted by Cédric Le Borgne’s Luminous Wire Birds in the Anne Cox Chambers Garden.
Rendering by
Sylvatica Studio
Back to the future
Conservatory special exhibit explores the history of plants
Take a journey through the distant past to learn about ancient lineages of plants with the Fuqua Conservatory’s special exhibit, The Story of Early Plant Evolution.
From the first land-dwelling groups like mosses and ferns to primitive conifers and cycads, all the way to the earliest angiosperms, or flowering plants, that shared a landscape with the dinosaurs, the story of plants is as fascinating and varied as that of the creatures they support.
For most, imagining the plant life of this time tends to provide broad brushstrokes of “alien” botanical forms, enormous ferns and myriad greens, often lacking the detail that the Garden hopes to bring to viewers by exhibiting its extensive collections of such flora. Demonstrating that we continue to share our world with the descendants of these plants today, the display ultimately aims to reveal a direct through-line from an ancient time to the present and back again, perhaps rousing echoes of the past even on a walk through Southeastern forests.
The Garden’s story of Earth’s earliest plants concludes with the end of the Cretaceous period, a point in geologic history that also coincides with the extinction of the non-avian dinosaurs.
The Fuqua Conservatory’s annual special exhibit is among the countless displays the indoor and outdoor horticulture teams work to create throughout the year – ones that continuously evolve with the seasons and public trends. In keeping with these cycles and the Garden’s mission to educate, the Conservatory staff collaborates with other teams to design and construct a themed display that will be both visually captivating and informative.
UPCOMING CLASS LISTINGS NOW ONLINE
ATLANTA
Garden Smarter Not Harder: Low-Maintenance Gardening
Shift your gardening paradigm from labor to leisure by learning both time-tested and cutting-edge gardening principles and planting strategies from this class.
atlantabg.org
GAINESVILLE
Introduction into Macro Photography
Discover nature’s hidden beauty with macro photography, where tiny details become works of art. Learn to capture the intricate textures and colors of plants and nature’s smallest creatures.
gainesvillegarden.org
Guests can experience this misty microforest of times gone by through next spring in the Special Exhibits space located between the Conservatory’s Orangerie and Desert House.
Pinson Conservatory Horticulturist
Derek
20-year journey
Garden helps frogs survive fungal threat in the wild
It took more than 20 years and lots of collaboration, but the great-great-grandchildren of imperiled frogs that the Garden rescued from Panama in 2004 are being introduced to the wild.
In the 1990s frogs were dying in unprecedented numbers throughout Central America because of a deadly fungal pathogen
that drove 90 species to extinction, making it one of the greatest threats to biodiversity in recorded history.
In 2004, anticipating the pathogen’s arrival in a critical ecosystem, a team that included Garden staff collected representatives of several species. The El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center was built to house some of the frogs, but the infrastructure wasn’t available to house all of the frogs in Panama. As an interim measure, the Garden built a special quarantine “Frog Pod” behind the Fuqua Orchid Center to take on the remaining frogs. Two species
bred well in captivity: Lemur leaf frogs, Agalychnis lemur, and Crowned tree frogs, Triprion spinosus
Many programs claim to hold animals for eventual reintroduction, but securing the conditions and permissions for releases is very complicated. The hope was that the Garden’s custody of the Panamanian frogs would be temporary, but when wild populations didn’t survive as expected, there was no guarantee these frogs would ever return to the wild.
In 2009 several zoos partnered with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute to
A Crowned tree frog explores its natural habitat.
form the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project for establishing sustainable populations of endangered amphibians and researching methods to reduce the impact of the fungus. Yet not enough different bloodlines existed in either location alone for the long-term genetic stability of the species, so combining these animals was essential.
After 12 years at the Garden, 17 Crowned tree frogs and 30 Lemur leaf frogs were taken to Panama, where the research teams raised the next two generations, methodically crossing the bloodlines to maintain genetic diversity.
Staff returned there this summer to
witness ongoing release trials with the offspring of the Garden’s frogs. Crowned tree frogs were released into enclosures installed on trees in the rainforest so their behavior and health could be monitored during their transition to the wild. The few wild individuals that survived there may have genetics that help them live with the ever-present fungus, but there aren’t enough of them. The hope is that those individuals will breed with the ones now being released. The enclosures have since been removed, leaving them free to explore the rainforest.
The release trials for Lemur leaf frogs
involve 120 tadpoles being raised in bins in the rainforest, half being exposed to an antifungal treatment. As they metamorphose, they are given tiny “tattoos” before being released so that if found in the future researchers will know whether they had the treatment.
The research team will continue audio-monitoring during breeding seasons in hope of evidence that the frogs survived and reproduced in wild conditions. If so, larger-scale releases will follow.
Chelsea Thomas Amphibian Program Coordinator
Lemur leaf frog
Amphibian Program Coordinator Chelsea Thomas moves frogs from the Garden’s biosecure pod in 2018 to the Smithsonian’s pod in Panama.
“Tree holes” are breeding sites for frogs.
Thomas moves frogs into enclosures with artificial “tree holes” this summer.
Calming waters
New gardens’ fountains, channels, pools tell tranquil story
AZALEA FOUNTAIN
WALLED GARDEN AND GROTTO
Growing for gold
Registration open for Heirlooms-themed flower show
The Garden turns 50 next year, and what better way to kick off the golden anniversary than a flower show?
The Atlanta Botanical Garden Flower Show, set for February 20 – 22, is themed Heirlooms in tribute to its setting’s historic milestone.
“The Garden is the ideal setting for this beautiful event, where we can bring together hundreds of exhibitors, floral enthusiasts and Garden guests for three days to experience the flower show in all its glory, explore the Garden’s annual Orchid Daze exhibition and enjoy the splendor of spring unfolding,” said Anna and Hays Mershon President & CEO Mary Pat Matheson.
The biennial event showcases the region’s most exquisite creations in floral design, horticulture, photography and botanical arts. Complementing those judged competitions are educational displays and an exhibit of Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging.
Online registration is now open for all competitive divisions except for horticulture, which takes place in person February 18 – 19.
The Garden recently announced that the Garden Club of America has awarded the show its prestigious status of Sanctioned non-GCA Major Flower Show, reserved for organizations whose flower shows meet set criteria and rise to the caliber of a GCA Major Flower Show.
For a sneak peek, a preview party is planned for the event, chaired by Julie Fox and Kim Nagy, on February 19.
Tickets to the show, which benefits the Garden’s International Plant Exploration Program, will be available for purchase beginning in December. For more information, visit atlantabg.org.
Atlanta Botanical Garden Flower Show
Ball honors Jennifer and Marty Flanagan
With the theme Serendipity, the Garden will celebrate the new season during the Garden of Eden Ball, its largest annual fundraising event, on Saturday, Sept. 27.
The event, honoring Jennifer and Marty
Flanagan, begins at 6:30 p.m. with cocktails in the garden, followed by a tented dinner and dancing. Chaired by Kristen and Jason Taylor, the ball is presented by Cox Enterprises.
For ticket information, visit atlantabg.org.
Circles Members
ORCHID CIRCLE
$12,000 annually
Natalie and David Batchelor
Steven Behm and Javier Garcia
Liz and Bill Cary
Amanda and Michael Chanin
Lynn and Terry Chastain
Carol and Larry Cooper
Lizzie and John Crawford
Joy and John Dyer
Virginia and Mitchell Ermentrout
Jennifer and Marty Flanagan
Duvall and Rex Fuqua
Gail and Pete Furniss
Shearon and Taylor Glover
Babette and Bill Henagan
Mary and John Huntz
Roya and Bahman Irvani
Tori and Jon Kaplan
Sarah and Jim Kennedy
Jeni and David Knight
Cara Isdell Lee and Zak Lee
Linda Lively and Jim Hugh
Barbara and Jim MacGinnitie
Linda and Ed McGinn
Terrie and Read Morton
Sara and Cody Partin
Sandra and Craig Perry
Robin and Marc Pollack
Margaret and Bob Reiser
Nancy and Charlie Rigby
Greer and Alex Taylor
Kristen and Jason Taylor
Carol and Ramon Tomé
Suzanne B. Wilner
MAGNOLIA CIRCLE $6,000 annually
Kathy and Walter Adams
Melissa and Philip H. Babb
Cathleen and Robert Bartlett
Tom Bat and Rod Rusyniak
Tina and Paul Blackney
Arthur M. Blank
Susan and Mike Brooks
Kate and Matt Cook
Suzanne M. Dansby
Jessica and John Dark
Mary Wayne Dixon
Ellen Doft and Alexander Katz
Yoon and Benjamin Ettinger
Lou and Tom Glenn
Laura and Scott Harrison
Nancy and Charles Harrison
Anne E. Hayden
Nicolette Hennings
May B. and Howell Hollis
Mary Ellen Imlay
Neville C. Isdell
Sarah and Scott Kagan
Barby and Bert Levy
Tuba and Doug Malinowski
Marilyn McMullan
Anna and Hays Mershon
In recognition of their continuing support, below are members of a distinguished donor community that sustains and enhances the Garden:
Flossie and Tom Mobley
Melissa Monk
Dana and Nick Nicolay
Carly and Peter Nicolay
Jennifer and David Poroch
April and Kyle Porter
Kathleen and Patric Rayburn
Ruth Magness Rollins
Deen Day Sanders
Janet Schoff and Richard Nailling
Alayne and George Sertl
Laura S. Spearman
Susan and Jim Spratt
Beverly and Peter Thomas
Julia and Kam Tse
Paula Turner
Harriet Warren
Ronit Walker and Matt Bronfman
Nancy A. Waterfill and Joe H. Waterfill
Kay Watson and Kendall Moister
Carla and Leonard Wood
Dancy and Charlie Wynne
ARBOR CIRCLE $3,000 annually
Maxine Allen and Eric Bressner
Firelli Alonso and Jon Crate
Mary and Wyatt Anderson
Carolyn and Peter Drotman
Yum and Ross Arnold
Sylvia Attkisson
Kathleen Barksdale
Chanda Barlow
Molly and Ramsay Battin
Jan Beaves
Elizabeth Benator
Stephanie and Xavier Bignon
Liz and Frank Blake
Diana Blank
Stephanie S. Blomeyer
Bill Bolen
Merritt Bond
Teri and Mose Bond
Melinda Borrero and Mike Rundle
Linda and Sam Boyte
Ginny and Charles Brewer
Lisa and Ron Brill
Carolyn and Max Brown
Norris Broyles
Laurel and Gordon Buchmiller
Becky Burgess
Sara Jean and Fred Burke
Robert Burkholder
Dorothy and Peter Burns
Lucy and Henry Bush
Lisa and Russ Butner
Candace Carson
Nancy and Jason Chambers
Pamela H. Chawkin
Daniel J. Chen
Sidney and Don Childress
Anne Barge Clegg
Martha Clinkscales and David Forquer
Lynn and John Cogan
Ta’Shengrem and Brandon Cook
Susan and Brendon Cornwell
Ann and Jim Curry
Christine Curtis and Cody Curtis Mason
Debbie and Paul Cushing
Robin Cutshaw and Donna Godsey
Teresa Dau and Amanda McMillan
Amelia Davies
Lewis Davis
Vivian and Peter de Kok
Audra Dial and Matthew Ford
Ginger Dixon
Linda and Christopher Doherty
Karen and David Dorton
Allison and Billy Dukes
Debbie and John Edwards
Diana Einterz
Florida and Douglas Ellis
Katharine and Alan Elsas
Terry and Charles Epstein
Maggie Erickson
Gail H. Evans
Julie and John Fox
Kara and David Miller
Kathryn and Ward Miller
Dorothy E. Mitchell-Leef and Forrest I. Leef
Carl Mitcheson and Keegan Treadaway
Ellen and Melvin Moore
Sally and Jim Morgens
Bett and Ray D. Moses
Gail and Michael Murray
Ellen and George Nemhauser
Ellen Frauenthal and Laura Richardson
Mary Ann and Sam Fraundorf
Jennifer Fuqua
Kathleen Gaffney
Heidi and David Geller
Carolyn Gibbs and Rick Nelson
Chris Gilliam
Lynda and Ben Greer
Claire and Luther Grifith
Nena Griffith
Mazie Lynn Guertin
Tana B. Harlan
Tammie and Mickey Harp
Mary Hart Wilheit and Philip A. Wilheit
Jean and John Hatfield
Natalie and Douglas Herndon
Lila and Doug Hertz
Christi Hildebrandt and Sharon Hildebrandt
Kay Hodges
Jo and Kevin Hodges
Karen and Mark Holzberg
Dona and Bill Humphreys
Jane F. Jackson
Cynthia Jeness
Courtney Jenkins
Bobbo Jetmundsen
Edwina and Tom Johnson
Emily Williams Jordan and David Jordan
DeAnna and Gene Kansas
Andrea and Mark Kauffman
Minde and Lewis King
Susan Kinsella
Dorothy Kirkley
Sandy and Loren Koch
Jim Landon
Marianne and E.G. Lassiter
Millie and Bob Lathan
Deborah Levey
Jeannie and Glenn Lightsey
Lynn Lowance
Wonya Lucas
Cindy Mallard
Kim and Michael Mansfield
Lauren Fuqua Maronnier and Arnaud Maronnier
Elizabeth and David Martin
Stephanie Dowell and Maney Mazloom
Karen McCarthy and Lindsay Walton
Mary Jo and Alfred Means
Erika Meinhardt
Jane and Randy Merrill
Nancy Newton
Karen and Richard Parker
Tonya and Steve Paro
Jana and Samuel Pasquarelli
Jannquell C. Peters
Margaret Peterson and Jill Adams
Arlene Porter
Katherine and John Porter
Eleanor Post and Bradley Ferguson
Regina Olchowski and Edward Potter
Ali and Clay Prickett
Martha and Douglas Prieskorn
Heather Prill
Denita Pryor
Eliza Quigley and Clara Jean Quigley
Kathy and Marbury Rainer
Olive and Roby Robinson
Kristine and David Rudolph
Sylvia Russell
Sharon and David Schachter
Lauren and Andrew Schlossberg
Andre Schnabl and Denny Marcus
Lu Anne Schwarz
Dawn and Timothy Severt
Nancy and Al Sherrod
Charlotte and Tom Shields
Lorraine and Tom Simons
Lisa Skittone and Joseph Moran
Gwen Smith
Roger Smith
Kim and Alex Smith
Lynette Smith
Stephanie Soltau and Dan Noyd
Kirsten Spraggins
Maggie and Henry Staats
Linda and Mason Stephenson
Frances Stinson
David W. Strickler
Melinda and Stephen Stuk
Margaretta Taylor
Kimberly S. Tribble and Mark S. Lange
Christine Tryba-Cofrin and David Cofrin
Lucy Vance
Lynn and Wink Weinberg
Tricky and George Wolfes
Lisa Yeager and Bob Ditty
Allen Yee
Studie and Zach Young
Updated May 31, 2025
atlanta happenings
Enchanted Trees by Poetic Kinetics
Through Sunday, Sept. 14
Alice’s Wonderland
Through Sunday, Sept. 14
Escape to a fantasy land of 38 giant plant sculptures of characters from Lewis Carroll’s iconic tales.
Cocktails in Wonderland
Thursdays through Sept. 11, 5 – 9 p.m.
Enjoy Alice’s Wonderland and Enchanted Trees by Poetic Kinetics with cocktails from cash bars, live music, lawn games and more!
Outdoor Kitchen Programs
Select dates September – October Local chefs showcase healthy, seasonal recipes to flavor your fall during Garden Chef Demonstrations, small culinary classes and dinner experiences, including the Fresh Plates, Georgia Grown and
Fuqua Lecture: Zoë Schlanger
Tuesday, Sept. 9, 7 p.m.
Through an invitation to consider the potential of plant intelligence, Atlantic writer and author Zoë Schlanger offers a new way of understanding life on earth and how plant life has evolved in conversation with its surroundings. The Dorothy Chapman Fuqua Lecture Series is made possible by the generous support of the families of Edwina and Tom Johnson, and Duvall and Rex Fuqua.
Explore 11 sculptures of trees with acrylic leaves that cast dappled light and reflective, shifting colors on their surroundings.
Well-Seasoned Chef series. Get fresh inspiration and tips for your home cooking while learning and sampling dishes featuring herbs and vegetables from steps away in the Edible Garden. See a full listing of plant-to-plate programs in the Outdoor Kitchen at atlantabg.org/outdoorkitchen.
Garden of Eden Ball
Saturday, Sept. 27, 6:30 p.m.
Celebrate the Garden at its largest annual fundraising event. The event, presented by Cox Enterprises, honors Jennifer and Marty Flanagan.
Scarecrows in the Garden
Wednesday, Oct. 1 – Sunday, Nov. 2
Dozens of creations by schools, businesses and families are perched along the Promenade and in the Children’s Garden.
Fest-of-Ale
October Thursdays, 5 – 8 p.m.
Explore Scarecrows in the Garden as darkness falls while enjoying craft beers and live entertainment.
Fall-themed activities will delight youngsters of all ages!
Goblins in the Garden
Sunday, Oct. 19, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Show off your child’s Halloween costume on the Goblin’s Runway, participate in fall family activities and enjoy pony rides and train rides, all while exploring Scarecrows in the Garden!
Alston Lecture: Bill Thomas
Tuesday, Oct. 21, 7 p.m.
Join Bill Thomas, Executive Director and Head Gardener at Chanticleer, for a visual tour and behind-the-scenes look at what The Washington Post calls “one of the most interesting and edgy public gardens in America.” The free lecture is hosted in partnership with Trees Atlanta. The Philip and Elkin Alston Lecture Series is made possible by generous support from the estate of Elkin Goddard Alston.
HOLIDAYS IN THE GARDEN
Garden Lights, Holiday Nights
Saturday, Nov. 15 – Sunday, Jan. 11
Tickets go on sale September 1 for this holiday favorite featuring millions of brilliantly colored lights, a Poinsettia Tree, roasted s’mores and much, much more! Presented by Invesco QQQ.
Holiday Model Trains
Saturday, Nov. 15 – Sunday, Jan. 11
Be a kid again while marveling at this holiday favorite display. Presented by Norfolk Southern.
Enjoy exciting entertainment, festive ales, clever crafts and fall-flavored food as teams of amateur carvers compete for great prizes during this ticketed event.
Hop on the Botanical Express for a trip around the Great Lawn. Fare is $6 per passenger, $4 members.
Botanical Santa
Saturdays, Nov. 29 – Dec. 20, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Bring your camera and tell Botanical Santa all of your holiday wishes.
| Gainesville
A Note from the Director
Fall is one of my favorite times in the Garden – cooler temperatures; colorful perennials in brilliant yellows, oranges and purples; and a gorgeous progression of fall color as shrubs and trees turn with the new season.
Fall also offers live music, art exhibits and family programs – and culminates with the opening of our inaugural holiday light show!
One of the highlights of this year’s 10th anniversary celebration will be the Emmylou Harris concert on September 12. The 14-time Grammy Award winner was the first performer to perform in our amphitheater in 2015, and I’m sure this show will be just as magical.
FallFest, our family festival set for October 4, will feature a kids performance, face-painting, educational demonstrations, a pop-up plant sale, food and more. That weekend also will mark the final days to explore the summer exhibit, Forest Forms: Woodland Wonders, by Atlanta artist Huelani Mei. Her metal sculptures of plants and animals feature colorful, playful woodland creatures that bring smiles to visitors of all ages.
Throughout October, our annual Scarecrows in the Garden exhibit will showcase artistic creations by Garden members, businesses and educational groups scattered along the pathways, adding even more color to the brilliant fall foliage. October and November also will feature classes for creating holiday crafts.
And finally, the yearlong celebration will end with our new holiday light show, Gainesville Glows: Lanterns and Lights. The dazzling displays light up beginning November 20, and you won’t want to miss this new holiday tradition.
Hope to see you in the Garden!
Mildred Fockele Gainesville Garden Director
Together again!
Emmylou Harris returns for anniversary performance
Legendary singer-songwriter Emmylou Harris returns to the Gainesville Garden on Friday, Sept. 12 for an encore performance celebrating the Garden’s 10th anniversary.
The 14-time Grammy Award winner last performed at the Gainesville Garden in 2015 during its inaugural concert in the Ivester Amphitheater, where the intimate outdoor setting and exceptional acoustics offer artists and guests an experience unlike any other.
“It’s truly an honor to have her here at any time, but having been the first artist to perform in our amphitheater really makes this show extremely special as we continue to celebrate our 10th anniversary,” Garden Director Mildred Fockele said.
Harris is known as much for her eloquently straightforward songwriting as for her incomparably expressive singing. Admired
throughout her career for her talent as an artist and song connoisseur, Harris shook up country radio in the 1970s when she established herself as the premiere songwriter of a generation, selling more than 15 million records and garnering her 14 Grammy Awards, three CMA Awards and four Americana Awards.
Concert tickets are on sale, and Garden members receive discounts.
The concert, sponsored by Genoa Construction, begins at 8 p.m., and gates open at 6 p.m. Seating is general admission, and cash bars will be available. Food may be purchased online until September 8 at gainesvillegarden.org.
gainesville happenings
Forest Forms: Woodland Wonders
Through Sunday, Oct. 5
Explore 21 larger-than-life metal sculptures of plants and animals by artist Huelani Mei.
Education Classes
September – December
Topics include fabric marbling, printmaking, macro photography and wreath making.
Emmylou Harris Concert
Friday, Sept. 12, 8 p.m.
Emmylou Harris plays the Ivester Amphitheater.
Scarecrows in the Garden
Wednesday, Oct. 1 – Sunday, Nov. 2
The woodlands are stuffed with creations by local artists, members, crafters, youth groups and more. Registration ends September 9.
Details at gainesvillegarden.org
FallFest
Saturday, Oct. 4 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Enjoy live music, educational booths, local vendors and kids’ activities.
Pumpkin Carving
Thursday, Oct. 23, 4 – 10 p.m.
Watch carvers compete for creating the most creative pumpkin at this new event! To participate, visit gainesvillegarden.org.
The Gainesville Garden’s inaugural holiday lights display is a woodlands winter wonderland.
Pictures with Santa
Saturday, Nov. 29, 10 a.m. – Noon
Meet the big man himself and take your own picture with Santa and his sleigh!
in lanterns, luminaria
A new, long-awaited holiday show will close out the Gainesville Garden’s 10th anniversary celebration, bathing the woodland setting in the warm glow of luminaries, lanterns, cone trees and more.
Gainesville Glows: Lanterns and Lights is open on select nights November 20 – January 4 and features displays of lighted woodland animals and other décor designed especially for the Garden.
Romantic luminaria will line pathways, creating an elegant walk along the Promenade. The surrounding trees will be uplit with colorful spotlights, and other trees in the woodland will be wrapped with warm white lights to outline the majestic beauty of their shapes. And look for tall metal lanterns with intricate cut-out patterns to cast enchanting patterns on the meandering walkways.
In addition, a light tunnel wrapped in warm white and champagne-colored lights will provide fun photo-ops and lead to a
large cone tree and family fun area on the Glade Lawn. There, kids will revel in the Decoration Station and lighted Fairy Forest.
The Forest Pond adjacent to the Visitor Center will feature pink lighted floating lotuses, providing a tranquil backdrop for music and jellyfish lights on the Terrace.
The Event Lawn will offer s’mores pits as well as fanciful giant plant sculptures wrapped in colorful holiday lights. And guests will be mesmerized by lighted globes on the
amphitheater lawn, accompanied by music.
Gainesville Glows will be open on limited nights until December 18, when it will remain open nightly through January 4.
Discounted member tickets will be available for purchase online beginning September 1. General admission tickets can be purchased beginning October 1.
For details, visit gainesvillegarden.org.
Mildred Fockele Gainesville Garden Director
membersonly
Member Appreciation Month
September is Member Appreciation Month! Enjoy extra member discounts or perks on-site at Longleaf restaurant, at the Snack Bar and in the Gift Shop; special discounts at participating garden centers; and the chance to win great prizes including Garden Lights, Holiday Nights tickets.
Member Morning
Gainesville: Monday, Oct. 13, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Enjoy a day of family-friendly activities, Scarecrows in the Garden, a special membersonly area and a complimentary member treat.
Member Fall Evening
Monday, Oct. 27, 5 – 8 p.m.
Experience festive harvest activities featuring hundreds of pumpkins, colorful fall foliage and Scarecrows in the Garden! Enjoy a cool fall evening full of crafts, live music and more!
Garden Lights, Holiday Nights
Member Premiere
Thursday, Nov. 13, 5– 10 p.m.
Be among the first to experience the 15th annual show at the lowest ticket price of the season! Can’t attend the premiere? Remember, members enjoy a discount on many ticket choices.
CONTRIBUTING AND ABOVE MEMBERS
Light
Bites & Garden Insights
Gainesville: Friday, Sept. 19, 10:30 a.m. - Noon
Contributing-level members and above are invited to enjoy refreshments and a behindthe-scenes presentation by Carrie Ratcliffe, the Garden’s Director of Conservation Partnerships. Look for an email with details. To upgrade to Contributing level or above, call 404-591-1544.
Learn more at atlantabg.org/memberevents
QUESTIONS? Call 404-591-1539 or email membership@atlantabg.org
DONOR-LEVEL MEMBERS
Skyline Picnic
Wednesday, Oct. 8, 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Mix and mingle at this exclusive event for Donor-level members in the Skyline Garden while enjoying a fall evening of tasty food and live music. Invitations will be mailed. To upgrade to the Donor level, call 404-591-1544.
DONOR-LEVEL AND ABOVE MEMBERS
Gainesville Glows: Lanterns & Lights Member Premiere
Wednesday, Nov. 19, 6 - 9 p.m.
Get an exclusive preview of Gainesville’s new holiday light show. To upgrade to the Donor level or above, call 404-591-1544.
SUPPORT THE GARDEN AS A VOLUNTEER!
Discovery Volunteer Training
Saturday, Sept. 13, 10 a.m. - Noon
Teach Garden visitors about plant collections, conservation work and exhibitions with talking points and materials to enhance the guest experience. Shift days and times are flexible with a requirement of two shifts per month.
Garden Lights Volunteer Training
Wednesday, Nov. 5, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Training covers the information needed to greet and direct visitors at Garden Lights. Volunteers must attend the introductory orientation and commit to five shifts. They are also invited to a preview event.
Docent Tour Guide Training
Fridays, Jan. 23 – March 13, 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Learn to lead school groups on guided tours. Volunteers must commit to leading two 90-minute tours a month, and be available on weekdays and weekends, with morning and afternoon shifts available.
For more information, contact Josh Todd at jtodd@atlantabg.org.
How do I prepare my garden this fall for next spring? Garden hygiene is important in fall. With the exception of plants with seed heads, be sure to deadhead all spent blooms, remove any dead plants and prune back perennials. Plants with seed heads should be allowed to die back naturally. These seed heads will provide food for birds over the cold months. It is important to weed the garden and put down weed barriers (i.e., cardboard or landscape cloth) before bedding it down for fall and winter. Eliminating weeds now will keep them from being so plentiful next spring.
