User:Gardendcs/be bold

GIBBS GARDENS, a 376-acre private garden open to the public, is located about an hour north of Atlanta, near Ball Ground in Cherokee County, Georgia.

Forested hillsides and mountain views provide the backdrop for 24 garden venues; six feature gardens and 18 seasonal color gardens with blossoms, color and garden design from March into November.

Gibbs Gardens is open from March through November, days vary by month; there is a charge for admission. The entrance to Gibbs Gardens—1987 Gibbs Drive—is off Yellow Creek Road, which runs north from Hwy. 369 in Cherokee County to Hwy. 53 in Pickens County.

Gibbs Gardens started as 200 acres of farmland and hillsides of mature woodland along Yellow Creek Road in Cherokee County. The land, owned by Broughton Bannister, a 70-year-old farmer, included a three-acre lake and hundreds of natural springs. Jim Gibbs purchased the 200 acres from Bannister in September 1980. He planned to build a family home, grow plants for his landscape business and develop a large estate garden. Over the next four years adjacent parcels of land were added to reach the current 376 acres, including 40 in Pickens County.

The property was transformed between 1981 and 2011.  Trees were removed to allow sunlight to reach new plants, 24 ponds were dug, 32 bridge crossings and 19 waterfalls were built for different gardens venues. Gibbs Gardens opened to the public on March 1, 2012 with four feature gardens and 12 seasonal color gardens. Today it includes six feature gardens and 18 seasonal color gardens.

The six feature gardens are the 40-acre Japanese Garden, the Daffodil Gardens, The Manor House Gardens, The Inspiration Gardens, Waterlily Gardens and the recently added Le Jardin, The Color Garden. The Seasons of Color logo represents the four seasons of color with four leaves: blue for winter, yellow for spring, green for summer and orange red for fall. There are 18 seasonal color garden venues with seasonal displays of annual and perennial plants.