Atlanta Botanical Garden in Atlanta, GA

Founded in 1976, the Atlanta Botanical Garden is a 30 acre establishment, located within Piedmont Park in Atlanta, Georgia. Dedicated to developing and maintaining plant collections for display, research, conservational and educational purposes, the botanical garden displays an astounding number of plants in diverse landscapes, each simulated to best resemble the natural habitat of the fauna.

The tropical conservatory, also called the Fuqua Conservatory, showcases lush tropical gardens, while the Desert House contains endangered species of plants, native to Madagascar and South Africa. At the Orangerie, you will find an array of tropical and sub-tropical species which are of high economic and medicinal significance. Some of the varieties on display in the Orangerie include spices like ginger, pepper, cinnamon and medicinal plants like Aloe Vera. The tropical conservatory is also home to many animals which are typical to the environment. The waterfall houses several varieties of dart frogs and tree frogs while the pool it flows into is the abode of two alligator snapping turtles.

The award-winning orchid centre holds some of the most rare and exotic species of orchids in the world. The 5,000 square feet exhibit room hosts three seasonal orchid displays a year. The display area is further divided into the formalistic area which comprises of a formal garden and trellises and the naturalistic area which displays these flowers in a tropical jungle-like habitat, to best exhibit the vast and diverse range.

There is an array of formal gardens you can browse through, including the Dwarf and Rare Conifer garden, the Hardy Palm Collection, the Japanese garden which is a bend of Asian Styles and also the Conservation garden which consists of six themed bogs.

Within the environs of the garden, the Storza Woods comprises of 15 acres if natural woodland which includes some of the only remaining mature hardwoods in the city. As you stroll through the woods, you can also learn quite a bit about the vegetation indigenous to this region.

The park also has plenty to offer its young visitors. Children can learn about the process of metamorphosis in the butterfly pavilion, watch the bees hard at work in the observation hive, big for fossils in a giant sandbox as they learn about dinosaurs or even listen to a story or some music at the immensely popular storytelling sessions that are regularly conducted here.

You can explore the Atlanta Botanical Garden on a guided tour or even opt for a self-guided one. Some of the popular tours conducted by the garden include the bird watching tour and the scavenger hunt. The garden is dotted with beautiful sculptures and waterworks which blossom amidst the vibrant fronds. You can also enroll for classes like water color painting and floral design or brush up your gardening skills through the practical gardening workshops. The Botanical garden also hosts lectures by several renowned environmental and horticultural experts throughout the year.

Unique souvenirs like garden books, note cards, hard-to-find gardeners' supplies, handmade stone jewelry and even beautiful potted orchids are available at the garden's museum store. The Sheffield botanical Library houses an invaluable collection of over 3,000 books and 60 periodicals which cover a range of topics in gardening and horticulture.

The museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 9 am to 7 pm from April through October. From November through March, you can drop in anytime between 9 am to 5 pm. The museum also conducts various activities, details of which are regularly updated on their website. For further details and ticket rates, you can email info@atlantabotanicalgarden.org , call 404.876.5859 or refer to http://www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org . A veritable oasis in the midst of a bustling city, make sure to include a visit to the Atlanta Botanical Garden on your next trip to Atlanta.

The Atlanta Botanical Garden
1345 Piedmont Ave.
NE Atlanta, GA 30309.