The State Botanical Garden of Georgia is a botanical garden of 323 acres (131 hectares) in the United States, with a conservatory operated by the University of Georgia. It is located at 2450 South Milledge Avenue, Athens, Georgia.
| State Botanical Garden of Georgia | |
|---|---|
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| Type | Botanical garden |
| Location | Athens, Georgia |
History
editThe botanical garden was first proposed in 1967 and construction began on the site three years later, in 1970. It was originally called the University of Georgia Botanical Garden.[1]
In 1971, then Georgia governor Jimmy Carter with his wife Rosalynn Carter toured the garden's trails and later allocate $13,000 in state funds for a master plan. The garden received more funding, over $650,000, for a headquarters building from the Callaway Foundation. Rosalynn Carter visited the garden again on July 18, 1974 for the groundbreaking of the building, which was later completed in 1975.[1]
Between 1970 and 1978, the garden's budget increased over 400 percent.[1]
In September 1982, ground was broken for the $2.6 million Visitor Center and Conservatory building, which was opened to the public in 1985. The Callaway Foundation also funded an entrance plaza and fountain for the building.[1]
In September 1982, there was a groundbreaking for a Visitor Center and Conservatory building. This building cost $2.6 million and later opened to the public in 1985.[1]
The Georgia General Assembly designated the garden as The State Botanical Garden of Georgia in February 1984 in an act that allowed the garden to receive more state funding.[1][2]
An additional 19.3 acres were added to the garden property in 1990 and it totals 323 acres as of 2024.[1][3]
In 1994, the Day Chapel was completed.[1]
Jenny Cruse-Sanders was named director in 2017, replacing former director Wilf Nicholls.[4] That same year, the garden broke ground for the Alice H. Richards Children’s Garden[5] which later opened in 2019.[6]
The Fire Prevention and Response Program at the United States Fish and Wildlife Service granted the garden $1.6 million for a native seed network. This network is intended for habitat restoration after natural disasters.[7]
Facilities
editThe garden has 235,000 visitors a year, as of 2017.[4] It has 290 acres of natural area and 32 acres of cultivated gardens, eight of which are specialty gardens.[3]
The 2.5-acre Alice H. Richards Children’s Garden opened in 2019. Features include a stone map of Georgia, a pitcher plant bog, and a cave replica embedded with fossils.[6] It was named after a member of the garden's Board of Advisors, Alice H. Richards, where after her passing in 2007 her family donated $1 million for a children’s garden.[5]
The Winter WonderLights is a yearly event in November and December that include a half-mile walking trail, which features over one million light bulbs and garnered 63,000 visitors in 2023.[3]
Garden
editThe Garden contains eleven botanical and horticultural collections:
- Annual/Perennial Garden - annuals and perennials
- Dahlia Garden (1987) - dahlias
- Groundcover Collection - bugleflower, euonymus, hypericum, ivy, juniper, liriope, ophiopogon, thrift, vinca, etc.
- Heritage Garden - plants of historic and social interest to Georgia, including apples, pears, and peaches, cotton, peanuts, and tobacco.
- International Garden - Middle Ages (Herb Garden and Physic Garden), Age of Exploration (Mediterranean & Middle East, Spanish America, American South, and China sections), and Age of Conservation (American Indian Plants, Bog Garden, Threatened & Endangered Plants).
- Native Azalea Collection - azaleas
- Native Flora Garden - more than 300 species, including ferns, trilliums, bloodroot, and lady slipper orchids.
- Rhododendron Collection (1976) - rhododendrons
- Flower Garden - Brand new in 2008.
- Shade Garden - azalea, camellia, dogwood, laurel, magnolia, redbud, and viburnum.
- Trial Garden - shrubs and trees under evaluation for the southeastern United States.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h Wehunt, Wayne. "Botanical Garden Breathes Life into Athens". Archived from the original on 9 May 2006. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- ^ Thomas, Frances Taliaferro (2009). A Portrait of Historic Athens & Clarke County. University of Georgia Press. p. 242. ISBN 978-0-8203-3044-0.
- ^ a b c Countryman, Vanessa. "The State Botanical Garden of Georgia. What to know about this Athens gem". Athens Banner-Herald. Archived from the original on 2024-10-05. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
- ^ a b Shearer, Lee (March 5, 2017). "For new State Botanical Garden of Georgia director, interest in conservation grew into a career". Online Athens. Archived from the original on 2024-10-05. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- ^ a b Shearer, Lee (4 September 2017). "Botanical Garden breaks ground for children's garden". Online Athens. Archived from the original on 2024-10-05. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- ^ a b Shearer, Lee (March 19, 2019). "Children at play: State Botanical Garden dedicates new Children's garden". Online Athens. Archived from the original on 2024-10-05. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- ^ Van Buren, Erica. "State Botanical Garden at UGA receives $1.6 million federal grant for native seed project". The Augusta Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2024-10-05. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
External links
edit- State Botanical Garden of Georgia Website official Web site