The State Botanical Garden Of Georgia

Bordering the Middle Oconee River, The State Botanical Garden of Georgia provides a unique facility for education, recreation, entertainment and quiet reflection. This "living laboratory" is operated by the University of Georgia, located in nearby Athens, Georgia. The State Botanical Garden of Georgia, founded in 1968, now includes over 300 acres of developed gardens and woodland, all connected by easily accessible walkways and trails. Hikers won't find a better place for hiking near Athens, GA. For students and public, it's a place to gain knowledge and enjoy garden beauty.

The State Botanical Garden of Georgia is located only 3 miles from the UGA campus, and about 5 driving miles from the center of Downtown Athens' Historic District. But inside the Garden one has a sense of solitude. Unpaved woodland trails can be accessed at several points throughout the property. Hikers who desire a more natural experience can do so.

It had been several years since we'd visited, so we wanted to see how the gardens have developed. We entered the Alice Hand Callaway Visitor Center and Conservatory. The lovely facility was made possible by the Callaway Foundation of LaGrange, GA. Alice Hand Callaway (1912-1998) was a civic leader and philanthropist who loved gardening, so the Visitor Center and Conservatory is a fitting tribute.

The Conservatory houses a small but delightful collection of tropical plant species including a display of significant food sources. On a hot summer day, you might be tempted to stay beside the brook rather than venture outdoors.

Outdoor plant collections are organized according to themes. The Heritage Garden highlights plants of historic socio-economic interest, especially to Georgians. The Herb and Physic Garden features plants of culinary and medicinal interest, such as thyme and lavender. The International Garden displays species of nearly all continents.

It's worthwhile noting that Georgia and other southeastern colonies were of great interest to plant explorers from Britain and Europe. Though sometimes it feels like nothing special to us, the southeastern United States is a botanical treasure. Seventeenth-century botanists must have been as excited at discovering plants here like Aesculus parviflora and Rhododendron prunifolia as others were when finding species like Lagerstroemia faurei in Japan. With that in mind, you should visit The Native Flora Garden and Native Azalea Garden with greater appreciation.

The State Botanical Garden of Georgia is growing. New vistas have opened for visitors to enjoy. Pleasant water features and garden art enhance the experience.

The State Botanical Garden of Georgia is a member of the American Horticultural Society (AHS) Reciprocal Admissions Program (RAP). The AHS RAP allows members of participating botanical gardens to enjoy benefits such as free admission or discounts at other member gardens. Admission to The State Botanical Garden of Georgia is already free, but the RAP allows discounts in the gift shop.

Here's a map to The State Botanical Garden of Georgia. If you're going to be in the area, check out the garden's schedule of events which may include entertainment and classes of special interest. Be sure to visit often.

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The Norfolk Botanical Garden - Freedom, Imagination, Dreams and Flights Of Fancy

Norfolk Botanical Garden - Mermaid

 

 

 

Just beyond a rise at the edge of the Norfolk Botanical Garden, planes begin and end their flights at the Norfolk International Airport. The jets and noise may seem like intrusions on garden tranquility. They are sometimes, sadly. But both are symbols of freedom, imagination, dreams, flights of fancy.  

An improbable idea for a civic garden came from Frederic Heutte, a young plantsman. Heutte loved azaleas, and he observed that tidewater Virginia was almost as clement as the South Carolina lowcountry. Perfect for azaleas. This was during the Great Depression. Though I don't know for sure, I think Frederic perceived success if an azalea garden could be promoted as a tourist attraction. Charleston, SC drew thousands of tourists every year, even when money was short. He told his dream to Thomas P. Thompson, Norfolk City Manager. Thompson agreed. They applied to the city of Norfolk. The city complied, giving them about 150 acres to work with.

The project needed money and labor. The "good-ole-boy" network got things started. (I don't mean that in a perjorative sense.) Summer of 1938, U.S. Congressman Norman R. Hamilton announced a Works Progress Administration (WPA) grant of $76, 278 for the garden project. The WPA in Virginia employed lots of people, unskilled and skilled, at taxpayer expense for all kinds of projects. It worked wonders for awhile.

The administrators hired over 200 African-Americans, mostly women, to prepare the site. They "carried the equivalent of 150 truck loads of dirt by hand to build a levee for the lake. The laborers were paid twenty-five cents an hour for their hard work," equivalent of about $3.00 per hour now. Probably more than I make most days as a small-business owner.

By spring of 1939, "four thousand azaleas, two thousand rhododendrons, several thousand miscellaneous shrubs and trees and one hundred bushels of daffodils had been planted."

Success breeds success. "In August of 1939, Representative Colgate W. Darden Jr. secured an additional $138, 553 for the Azalea Garden, and the founding of the Old Dominion Horticultural Society provided volunteer labor to assist the Garden. By 1941 the Garden displayed nearly five thousand azaleas, and seventy-five landscaped acres that were encompassed by five miles of walking trails."

The city got behind it in a bigger way and renamed the Azalea Garden the Norfolk Municipal Gardens. For political and economic reasons, the city promoted the gardens as the site for the International Azalea Festival.

The Norfolk Municipal Gardens was renamed Norfolk Botanical Garden after the Old Dominion Horticultural Society took over its maintenance. The stated mission was to "promote for the people of Tidewater, Virginia, a Garden that will always remain an inspiration, and lead the home gardener to greater enjoyment and accomplishment in his own yard", and more.

Other improvements have been made. Waterways, which always appeal to me, have been constructed. Boats ply them to provide visitors placid viewing experiences.

There are theme gardens: Japanese, American Colonial, Rose, Statuary, Butterfly, Native Plant, the WOW garden for children. Professional and amateur gardeners should make a point of visiting the All-America Selections Garden, where new plants with exciting potential are on display.

Visitors can tour the Norfolk Botanical Garden by foot, boat or tram. In March, we toured on foot with a garden map in hand. We like walking because we have freedom to roam, can stop when we want, look at different angles, inspect plants closely, take pictures, sit and wait, scratch and sniff.

Gardens and art are essentially the same. I think gardens are the epitome, for they are sculptures we can enter to involve all our senses. The flying mermaid sculpture and an exhibit of paintings were the perfect segue to what we found behind the garden wall.

At the end of an ample plaza we found a pergola flanked by Edgworthia chrysantha and draped with Gelsemium sempervirens. It was our first chance to enjoy a fragrant view overlooking the boat basin to the Sarah Lee Baker Perennial Garden beyond.

Japanese gardens quietly invite visitors to enter, so we did. Stone, water, thoughtfully trimmed plants and a Japanese garden bell enhanced the tranquility of the moment and subdued any disturbance from the airport beyond.

The Sarah Lee Baker Perennial Garden features a dramatic limestone fountain and terraced canals. Over 200 varieties of perennials and bulbs paint the landscape with seasonal splashes of color. The backdrop of Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Filifera Aurea' and Magnolia x soulangeana was spectacular. This perennial garden is a fitting tribute to one of Norfolk's most important patrons. Mrs. Baker's influence is palpable. Sarah Lee Baker (1910-2002) was the wife of prominent businessman Isaac Mitchell Baker of Norfolk.

As we strolled to the Renaissance Court, we noticed photographers with some serious equipment trained on nearby pines. They said bald eagles were nesting in the garden. Our approach to the Court was cordoned off to protect the raptors from intrusion.

In 2003, a pair of bald eagles decided the high pines soaring above would be a fine place to begin a family. Since then the eagles have become quite an attraction. An "Eagle Cam" provided visitors around the world views of the eyrie via the internet. Views are also possible from the NATO Tower and the Renaissance Court.

The female eagle was killed, tragically, in 2011 when she collided with an airplane while hunting food for her three fledglings. The young were removed to a wildlife center until they could be released to the wild that summer. An impressive sculpture of an eagle in flight and a plaque commemorates her life.

Apparently her mate began a new romance for the nest was home to eaglets once again in spring 2012. The nesting season lasts from December through July.

Near the Renaissance Court along the Camellia Allee, we came upon a delightful bronze sculpture of graceful dancers by Mario Korbel. They seemed to float above a marble base inscribed with a flight of fancy by Arther Morris of Norfolk.

There Are

So Many Gods

So Many Creeds

So Many Paths

That Wind And Wind

When

Just The Art Of Being Kind

Is All This Sad World Needs

Arther Morris was the father of noted sculptor Virginia Morris Pollak.

Korbel's sculpture was removed from the garden for awhile for restoration, which is complete. Since the camellias were in bloom, someone thoughtfully dressed them with a few blossoms. A smaller version of the sculpture may be seen at the Cooper Gallery, Lewisburg, WV.

Behind the Renaissance Court, a statuary garden leads to a view of Lake Whitehurst. Stony attendants include Phidias, Rubens, Canova, Durer, Thomas Crawford, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Murillo, Raphael and Rembrandt.

The Norfolk Botanical Garden was rich with pleasant spring scenes and blazing floral displays. I was particularly impressed by an imaginative espaliered cordon.

Gardeners who anticipate new plant releases will appreciate that the Norfolk Botanical Garden is an official All-America Selections Display Garden. The mission of All-America Selections is "to promote new garden varieties with superior garden performance judged in impartial trials in North America." The AAS tests plants at gardens nationwide. Superior selections are named AAS Winners. At AAS Display Gardens, visitors can see plant selections up close and visualize how they might use them in their home landscapes.

It seems that every botanical garden nowadays has a children's garden. If not, they should. Children's gardens are fun and educational, introducing young ones to nature, science, art, freedom to explore and the joy of growing. Norfolk's World Of Wonders is especially well-conceived. The sculpted caterpillar arbor was fun. A passing grown-up jogger couldn't resist going through it back and forth.

There is more to enjoy than one can take in on a single day, or even in a single season. You really need to visit often. The best way to do that is to become a Garden Member. For a reasonable fee you get free admission, which makes it easy to drop in on a whim, and lots of other perks such as discounts, a subscription to Norfolk's garden magazine, and borrowing privileges at the Huette Horticultural Library.

The Norfolk Botanical Garden is a member of the American Horticulture Society Reciprocal Admissions Program. So with your membership at Norfolk, you get free or discounted admission to over 230 other member gardens in the U.S. for as long as your membership is current. You can't beat that.

Become a member of the Norfolk Botanical Garden, visit often, learn, enjoy, imagine, dream, let your spirit soar. Maybe I'll see you there.

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Norfolk Botanical Garden canal in spring.

The Elizabethan Gardens - Like A Step Back In Time

Statue of Elizabeth I by Jon Hair, The Elizabethan Gardens

Entering the Great Gate of The Elizabethan Gardens, Manteo, NC, is like stepping back in time. The Elizabethan Gardens, on the north end of Roanoke Island, is very near the site of Fort Raleigh, known as "England's First Home in the New World."

In the late 16th century, Sir Walter Raleigh (1554-1618) tried to establish an English colony by charter of Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603) on Roanoke Island. Though he organized and financed the project, Sir Walter Raleigh never visited North America himself. After one failed effort, a group of 150 colonists under Governor John White (1540-1593) was dispatched to the Chesapeake Bay, but stopped at Roanoke Island to gather the remaining men. None were found. White, a friend of Raleigh's and an able artist, attempted to proceed to Chesapeake Bay, but the fleet's Portuguese commander and part-time pirate, Simon Fernandez (1538-1590), nicknamed "The Swine" by his men, inexplicably refused to allow the colonists to re-board ship, insisting they stay to establish the Roanoke colony. (Fernandez's despicable reputation is doubted by some.) White and colonists, including his daughter and son-in-law, had to make the best of it.

Bad relations with the Indians had begun a few years earlier over an alleged theft of a silver cup. In retaliation, the Indian village had been burned. The incident was not forgotten. August 8, 1587, a subsequent, mistaken attack upon friendly Indians worsened the situation.  "We were deceaved", wrote White in his journal, "the savages were our friendes".  The colonists' situation became desperate. White's granddaughter, Virginia Dare, was born August 18, 1587. The first English person born on North American soil, Virginia was baptised the following Sunday.

The colonists urged Governor White to return to England appealing for aid. His return to Roanoke was delayed for three years by unfortunate circumstances, not least of which was England's war with Spain. All worthy ships were enlisted to repel the Spanish Armada. When White, after a harrowing voyage, did make it back on Virginia's third birthday, he found the settlement long-deserted. The only traces were cryptic carvings, CROATOAN and CRO, on a post and tree. The colonists' fate remains a mystery.

The Elizabethan Gardens was conceived in 1950 by Mrs. Charles Cannon (1891-1965), wife of the North Carolina industrialist/philanthropist Charles A. Cannon (1892-1971); Inglis Fletcher (1879-1969), noted North Carolinian, historian and author; Sir John Evelyn Leslie Wrench (1882–1966), Founder of the English Speaking Union, and Lady Wrench, aka Hylda Henrietta Brooke (1879-1955), when they were visiting Fort Raleigh National Historic Site and The Lost Colony outdoor drama on Roanoke Island. The following year, the idea was presented to The Garden Club of North Carolina, which voted to build the garden on property leased from the Roanoke Island Historical Association.

As plans were being made, objects to furnish the gardens were being acquired. Mr. E. W. Reinecke, a North Carolina construction contractor, informed the Garden Club that he was removing some valuable statuary from the Greenwood Plantation of The Honorable John Hay "Jock" Whitney (1904-1892) in Thomasville, Georgia. The statuary seemed to be headed to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. He also suggested that Innocenti and Webel, the noted landscape architect firm headed by Umberto Innocenti (1895-1968) and; Richard Webel (1900-2000), be retained. The Garden Club took Reinecke's advice.

Construction began on June 2, 1953, the coronation date of Queen Elizabeth II, and formally opened August 18, 1960, the 373rd anniversary of the birth of Virginia Dare.

The impressive iron gates at the entrance to The Elizabethan Gardens, a gift of The Honorable C. Douglas Dillon (1909-2003), Ambassador to France, Undersecretary of State and later United States Treasurer, once hung at the French Embassy in Washington, D.C. Dillon, who had a knack for acquiring things, was also a long-time trustee of The Metropolitan Museum, and later its President.

The Great Gate and Gatehouse certainly gave the feeling that we were entering 16th century England. A formal box garden and Shakespeare's Herb Garden contributed to the effect. A couple dozen of the herbs are documented in a booklet, Shakespeare’s Herbs in the Elizabethan Gardens. Written by Huntington Cairns, former secretary of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, the booklet may be purchased in the gift shop.

If there's anything like being trapped in time at The Elizabethan Gardens, it's entering the gift shop. We found an intriguing display of lovely objects and interesting literature I never knew we wanted before. I don't like entrapment, so I tried to hurry us into the gardens as soon as we'd paid our admissions fee.

A solidified gravel walk led through the Rhododendron Walk, the Fragrance Walk, and into The Queen's Rose Garden. Since we were visiting in March, none offered the flowers or fragrances of other seasons. However, seasonal plantings of bulbs and spring annuals were enchanting.

Tulips and viola, The Elizabethan Gardens, Manteo, NC

Then we came face-to-face with the statue of Elizabeth I, Good Bess, the Virgin Queen. The sculpture, by Jon D. Hair, is monumental, yet meticulous in detail even to the lace of her gown.

From Good Bess, we strolled to The Mount and Well Head. The well head, carved of porphyry, is one of the items donated by Whitney. The elevation provided good views to the west of The Sunken Garden, and The Virginia Dare Statue to the east.

The Virginia Dare Statue was carved circa 1859 from Carrara marble in Rome, Italy by Maria Louisa Lander (1826-1923). But Virginia Dare, undoubtedly named for the virgin queen, apparently died before the age of three. So the voluptuous figure of a tempting, barely draped woman with really fine legs, said to be "the sculptor’s idealized version of what Virginia Dare would have looked like had she grown to womanhood", doesn't actually represent Virginia or any respectable American Englishwoman of purity and refinement. Perhaps Miss Lander dared to reveal more of herself.

North of the Well Head, I could glimpse Roanoke Sound. The views from The Water Gate and from The Gazebo were very pleasant. The Gazebo is constructed of hewn beams and roofed with thatch in traditional English style, giving somewhat the sense of a colonist's hovel.

Behind The Gazebo, a small terrace garden charmed, and The Overlook Terrace impressed us with views into the Sunken Garden. An ancient Italian Renaissance fountain framed by well-pollarded crapemyrtles and a nearby walk flanked by hornbeams perfected the scene.

As I mentioned earlier, we visited in March, so camellias and Magnolia x soulangiana were in full bloom. The woodland was carpeted with flowers.

Near an ancient Live Oak (Quercus virginiana) probably pre-dating the colonists' arrival, the marble Lion Couchant Bird Bath surrounded by benches provided a fine place to rest and enjoy scenes of The Great Lawn.

The Elizabethan Gardens is a member of the American Horticultural Society's Reciprocal Admissions Program. The AHS RAP allows members of one participating botanical garden to enjoy special privileges at others. At the time, we were members of The Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Richmond, VA. You'd think that membership in The Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden and The Elizabethan Gardens being part of the RAP program, The Elizabethan Gardens would allow free entrance. But that's not the case. For us and the admissions attendant, it was a matter of confusion and disappointment. The attendant's supervisor advised we were allowed free parking and 10% off any gift shop purchase. Parking was already free, and I was determined to avoid entrapment in the gift shop. We paid full admission and enjoyed the garden.

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Behind A Garden Wall: The Cape Fear Botanical Garden

Spring calls for a walk in a garden or wood. The Cape Fear Botanical Garden in Fayetteville, NC provides both. Conceived in 1989, it is fairly young, without the history, grand specimens and patina that older gardens gain with time. Much remains undeveloped, but there is a feeling of freshness. Perfect for a Sunday afternoon in spring.

From the Wyatt Visitors Pavilion, we strolled, garden map in hand, through the Wellons Arbor. Planted with immature vines, it will eventually become very beautiful, though it's not unattractive now. My wife remarked that she wants me to build one like it.

If we had followed the map, we would have turned to the left and taken a clock-wise course around the garden, but we didn't. We passed the fountain, a naturalistic spring set in stone, admired the tulips and viola, and headed toward the river. Along the way, we enjoyed glimpses of Cross Creek, a tributary of the Cape Fear.

I'm drawn to rivers, creeks, lakes and oceans, so the prospect of walking along the Cape Fear River was too much to resist. The Cape Fear was a principal means of transportation into the interior of North Carolina, especially before the advent of railroads. It's still navigable as far inland as Fayetteville.

The walk to the Cape Fear River begins on high banks where wildflowers such as Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica) and Fawn Lily (Erythronium americanum) were appearing. Then the trail winds through its floodplain, crossing a well-built footbridge. Typical regional species on the forest floor include Purple Dead Nettle (Lamium purpureum), Yellow Buckeye (Aesculus flava), Gray's Sedge (Carex grayi), Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) and Cleavers (Galium aparine). There was also a good population of non-native Japanese Stilt Grass (Microstegium vimineum). We saw a good many fiddleheads, including Christmas Ferns (Polystichum acrostichoides) and Southern Lady Ferns (Athyrium asplenoides) as we ascended.

Views of Cross Creek and the Cape Fear River were pretty good that time of year when arboreal foliage was still unfledged. I expect it's different in summer. Perhaps garden plans include providing better vistas without compromising the natural appeal. Apart from the sound of distant traffic, it seemed like the city was far away. But it wasn't.

At the upper edge of the forest, we came into the McLaurin Camellia Garden. Our camellia season in south Georgia was over. Most here were in full bloom: 'Imura', 'Gigantea' (see photo above), 'Pink Perfection', 'Fashionata'. We found a little extra pleasure in the fragrance of Variegated Winter Daphne (Daphne odora 'Aureo-marginata').

Almost every contemporary botanical garden has popular theme gardens: rain gardens, friendship gardens, water-wise gardens, and children's gardens. This one has them, too. Judging from the approaching clamor, it seemed the children's garden was going to be a happening place in a few seconds. We escaped to a more idyllic spot - the Great Lawn and gazebo, where a young mother and daughters were enjoying a quiet tea party. Star Magnolia (M. stellata) and a rhododendron were in bloom.

We were slow to leave the garden, though the day was waning and we had many miles to drive. Still, I had to pause to snap pictures of great ground covers such as Dark Dancer Clover (Trifolium repens var. atropurpureum) and Creeping Veronica.

The Cape Fear Botanical Garden is a member of The American Horticultural Society Reciprocal Admissions Program. Which means a membership in one participating botanical garden will provide benefits in another. In this case, a membership in another will get you free admission to the Cape Fear Botanical Garden.

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Behind A Garden Wall: The Atlanta Botanical Garden

Atlanta Botanical Garden entrance

Conceived in 1973 by civic-minded Atlantans, the Atlanta Botanical Garden has grown from a temporary office in a double-wide trailer to a 30-acre oasis adjacent to Piedmont Park. Its mission is "to develop and maintain plant collections for display, education, research, conservation and enjoyment." But it's more than a big plant display. Nestled beneath the Atlanta skyline, and screened from traffic, the Atlanta Botanical Garden is a welcome retreat, a learning center, a place for reflection and celebration. Follow me to see what grows behind that garden wall.

Our last visit was in mid-summer, 2011. Julys in Atlanta can be brutal. From the new Hardin Visitor Center, we headed straight to the GardenHouse for a cold drink and snack.

Having battled Atlanta traffic, we needed to calm our minds. We found the perfect place within the walls of the nearby Japanese Garden. The Japanese Garden is probably the oldest part of the campus, begun in Piedmont Park in the 1960s. We felt more tranquil simply by entering the moon gate. Traditional Japanese architecture frames azaleas, conifers, irises and water features.

Atlanta Botanical Garden - Japanese Garden

We have strong interests in fruit and vegetable gardening, so we meandered to the Edible Garden. Along the way, this imaginative sculptured gate by Andrew Crawford delighted us. We also admired some fine specimen plants such as this sinuous Styrax japonica 'Emerald Pagoda'.

The Herb Wall is one of The Edible Garden's most interesting features. Imagine an ornamental wall of thyme, oregano, lavender, rosemary, chives, parsley growing where they can be easily reached. The site was the former parking lot for the Atlanta Botanical Garden. To turn asphalt into a green space for edibles was a stroke of genius. Are you inspired to construct your own? Your south-facing wall could be adorned and insulated with savory botanicals. Nice! (Oooh, oooh! I want one!) Well, the Edible Garden Project cost $2 million. The Herb Wall was only a fraction of the cost. An espaliered fruit tree should be far less expensive. I have created a few of them, myself.

Atlanta Botanical Garden - Fruit espalier

The Edible Garden also features an outdoor kitchen where chefs demonstrate recipes and cooking techniques, and guests can dine al fresco. In fact, the Garden is currently hosting "Gourmet in May", "a month-long smorgasbord of demonstrations, activities, classes and festivities in the Edible Garden and Outdoor Kitchen."

Phalaenopsis

We passed the Conservation Center and entered The Dorothy Chapman Fuqua Conservatory through the side door. I've loved tropicals since I was a small child. I think I was first smitten while visiting my great-aunt's orchid house in Jacksonville, FL. This is that on a grand scale. The conservatory is divided into a few micro-climates to accommodate exotics from diverse habitats. Where ever you look, there are orchids, bromeliads, anthuriums, succulents, bold foliage displays and patterns, and intriguing scenes. Unusual birds may appear. You'll also find a frog collection. All this within a glass house protected from the real dangers in rainforests.

Leaving the Conservatory, we emerged at The Great Lawn. If you visit The Great Lawn at the right times, you can enjoy Concerts In The Garden and The Garden Of Eden Ball. Weddings and other celebrations are sometimes scheduled. Our visit was not at the right time. It was hotter than Hades. The Conservation Garden, Aquatic Plant Pond, Rock Garden and Rose Garden looked worse for the heat.

Atlanta Botanical Garden - Dale Chihuly glass sculpture

We strolled to the Levy Parterre. Then, the coolest thing appeared before us: Dale Chihuly's magnificent blue and white glass sculpture centered upon an Italian limestone fountain. I had to view it from more than one place. Seen from the Alston Overlook, the Chihuly glass beneath the Atlanta skyline was impressive. The Atlanta skyline would have been imposing without the summer haze.

While hurrying to find refreshment, we neglected a few wonderful Garden features near the entrance, such as the Pear Tree sculpture, a fine mixed border with ornamental grasses, and a spilling fountain. We went back for a look.

The Kendeda Canopy Walk is one of the botanical garden's newest attractions. Providing the sensation of floating above the forest floor, it's said to be the only tree-canopy level walk of its kind in the United States. But that day was too hot. We experienced the sensation of more sweaty walking, so returned to our vehicle.

The Atlanta Botanical Garden participates in the American Horticultural Society's Reciprocal Agreement Program. As of this writing, that permits free admission and parking.

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The American Horticultural Society's Reciprocal Admissions Program

If you enjoy visiting botanical gardens, but are put off by admission fees, consider taking advantage of the American Horticultural Society's Reciprocal Admissions Program. Here's how it works. Purchase a membership card from the AHS or from one of its participating gardens. That membership can allow you entrance, usually free admission or parking, to other participating gardens. You may also enjoy discounts in their gift shops, and other member perks. A printable guide, called the RAPLIST, can be obtained online which informs of the benefits at various member gardens.

Keep in mind, however, that the Reciprocal Admissions Program may not allow free admission to every garden listed in the guide. Furthermore, some gardens listed don't charge admission in the first place. Check out the benefit symbols carefully to make sure you understand. If you're not sure, contact the garden in question.

Travel Advisory: If you are a member of one botanical garden on the RAPLIST and go to visit another, make sure you have your membership card in hand along with a printed copy of the latest RAPLIST. Of the last five botanical gardens we visited, three admission desk attendants didn't know what I was talking about. Though I presented my papers, they had to find someone else to consult. It can be a bit disconcerting. If it happens to you, just be patient and gracious. All in all, it's a fine program that I highly recommend.

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