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Gibbs Gardens

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.

The Garden 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.

History

Gibbs Gardens started on 200 acres of farmland and 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. Over the next four years, adjacent parcels of land were added to reach the current 376 acres, including 40 acres in Pickens County.

The property was transformed between 1981 and 2011. Trees were removed for more sunlight, ponds were dug, and bridge crossings and waterfalls were built for different gardens venues. Gibbs Gardens opened to the public on March 1, 2012 with 4 feature gardens and 12 seasonal color gardens. Today it includes 6 feature gardens and 18 seasonal color gardens.

The six feature gardens are the Japanese Garden, the Daffodil Gardens, The Manor House Gardens, The Inspiration Gardens, Waterlily Gardens and the recently added Le Jardin, The Color Garden.

FEATURE GARDENS

DAFFODILGARDENS

Fifty acres are dedicated to daffodils. Each year more than 20 million daffodil blooms of many varieties of early, mid, and late-season blooms cover the hillsides for six weeks.

Starting in 1985, hundreds of thousands of perennial daffodil bulbs were planted annually. Perennial bulbs divide every season, so the number of blooms increased from year to year. In November 2022, more than 577,000 bulbs were added. Daffodils are planted along each hillside to create “streams” of daffodils from 5 to 10 feet wide. Each hillside stream is vertically divided into separate, narrower streams based on the color and bloom time of each daffodil variety. Using four daffodil bulbs per square foot, every group—early-, early/mid-, mid-, mid/late- and late—is planted in its own separate stream based on bloom time.

MANOR HOUSE GARDENS

Planting the grounds around the Manor House began in 1982. Large Japanese maples, American hollies and willow oaks were planted closer to the house with vines accenting corners. The home site is one of the highest crests in northeast Cherokee County, with views of the North Georgia mountains.

Seven terraces were planted with 150 feet of elevation variance from the Manor House down to the Valley Gardens. Surrounded by hydrangeas, rhododendrons and a 100-foot-long rose arbor, the Manor House Gardens has views of terraces, lawns, pools, waterfalls, undisturbed woodland, and the North Georgia mountains.

WATERLILY GARDENS

The Waterlily Gardens have 5 ponds and 140 varieties of unique hardy and tropical waterlilies. The ponds, fed by natural springs, create reflections of the waterlily blooms.

The Monet Bridge is modeled after the Japanese bridge in Monet’s Waterlily Gardens. In tribute, the bridge is painted the same color as Monet’s and planted wisteria of the same variety and color on top. Wooden bridges, a covered bridge, a natural rock bridge, islands, waterfalls and a Japanese pagoda viewing deck add to the Waterlily Gardens.

JAPANESE GARDENS

The Japanese Gardens cover more than 40 acres with seven spring-fed ponds with islands, bridges, massive boulders and rocks. There are more than 1,000 Japanese maples representing many varieties. Visitors enter the Hill and Pond Stroll Garden, “Tsukiyama,” though the Torii Gate and stroll along wide paths, past pagodas, Japanese lanterns and decades old shrubs. Shrubs and trees are pruned in the tradition of Japanese bonsai. According to Japanese folklore, walking across the traditional Zigzag Bridge chases away evil spirits.

In spring, weeping willows and cobalt-blue variegated water irises are reflected in the ponds. Ferns and the blossoms of Kurume, Satsuki, Indica and native azaleas; dogwoods; mountain laurels; Yoshino and Kwanzan cherry trees; trilliums and wildflowers are in bloom. In fall, the Japanese Gardens feature vivid foliage colors in shades of red, gold and crimson.

INSPIRATION GARDENS

Added in 2021, the Inspiration Gardens includes an assortment of flowering trees and shrubs well suited to average-sized home gardens. During years of providing landscape design for homes in the Atlanta area, Gibbs heard homeowners’ concerns about planting trees and shrubs that quickly outgrew their yards. The Inspiration Gardens provide ideas for these homeowners.

Pathways wind through 15 acres of conifers, encore and native azaleas. The Encore Azalea Collection includes 1,200 azaleas in all 33 varieties. The Dwarf Conifer Collection features hundreds of conifers representing more than 200 named varieties. The Native Azalea Collection contains more than 1,500 azaleas of more than 100 varieties. The Dwarf Japanese Dissectum Maple Collection represents 100-plus varieties. The Japanese Maples Collection—Acer palmatum and Acer japonicum—represent more than 100 hundred varieties. Drift® Groundcover Rose series and Knockout Rosees add color.

LE JARDIN, The Color Garden

In late summer of 2023, a new garden was created to highlight contrasts of colors, textures, shapes and plant heights. There are nine flower beds containing thousands of colorful annuals and perennials

References

Southern Living, “Ready For An Outdoor Adventure? Head to Woodstock, Georgia, by Southern Living Editors, August 30, 2023, “Or drive the twenty or so minutes to Gibbs Gardens, a beautiful botanical garden where you can take in the landscape–and whatever’s blooming–at your own pace.”,

Cultivate, Magazine of State Botanical Garden of Tennessee, “Gibbs Gardens,” by Joan Worley, Summer 2016; “Ordinarily history doesn’t get started until something has been around fifty or one hundred years,”

Fox 5, Good Day Atlanta; “Incredible daffodil display dazzles at Gibbs Gardens,” by Paul Milliken, March 9, 2023; “Twenty million is a big number, a very big number. But for legendary landscaper Jim Gibbs, it just wasn’t enough.”

Fine Gardening, “The Gibbs Gardens Shine in Spring,” by Dr. Andy Pulte, University of Tennessee, April 13, 2023; “I was lucky enough to visit the Gibbs Gardens many years ago before they were fully open to the public.”

GardenSMART TV 2018, Gibbs Gardens, “Gardening Water features.” Jim Gibbs interview about planning and installing water features in Gibbs Gardens. https://youtu.be/TMZ_rNidgGY?feature=shared

GardenSMART TV 2023, Gibbs Gardens, “Hydrangeas at Gibbs Gardens.” Interview with Jim Gibbs about care for hydrangeas. https://youtu.be/UJ0ciazUNUw?feature=shared

Garden SMART TV 2019, Gibbs Gardens, “Fall color at Gibbs Gardens.” Interview with Jim Gibbs about his recently released book and fall gardening. 6.5 views https://youtu.be/iLW31pKhU0g?feature=shared

GardenSMART, May 2018, Gibbs Gardens, “History of Gibbs Gardens.” Interview with Jim Gibbs about how he found the land and built Gibbs Gardens. https://youtu.be/4rxbC71ih58?feature=shared

GardenSMART, July 10, 2020, Gibbs Gardens, “Water Gardens.” Interview with Jim Gibbs about water gardening and the Waterlily Garden. https://youtu.be/qbjBAtCzeDg?feature=shared

"Gibbs Gardens: Reflections on a Gardening Life" by James Gibbs, 2018

@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 '''History'''
-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.
+Gibbs Gardens started on 200 acres of farmland and 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.
+Jim Gibbs purchased the 200 acres from Bannister in September 1980. Over the next four years, adjacent parcels of land were added to reach the current 376 acres, including 40 acres 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 property was transformed between 1981 and 2011.  Trees were removed for more sunlight, ponds were dug, and bridge crossings and waterfalls were built for different gardens venues. Gibbs Gardens opened to the public on March 1, 2012 with 4 feature gardens and 12 seasonal color gardens. Today it includes 6 feature gardens and 18 seasonal color gardens.
 The six feature gardens are the Japanese Garden, the Daffodil Gardens, The Manor House Gardens, The Inspiration Gardens, Waterlily Gardens and the recently added Le Jardin, The Color Garden.
@@ Line 22: / Line 23: @@
 '''DAFFODILGARDENS'''
-Fifty acres are dedicated to [[Narcissus (plant)|daffodils]]. Each year more than 20 million daffodil blooms representing more than 100 varieties of early, mid, and late-season blooms cover the hillsides for six weeks.
+Fifty acres are dedicated to [[Narcissus (plant)|daffodils]]. Each year more than 20 million daffodil blooms of many varieties of early, mid, and late-season blooms cover the hillsides for six weeks.
 Starting in 1985, hundreds of thousands of perennial daffodil bulbs were planted annually. Perennial bulbs divide every season, so the number of blooms increased from year to year. In November 2022, more than 577,000 bulbs were added. Daffodils are planted along each hillside to create “streams” of daffodils from 5 to 10 feet wide. Each hillside stream is vertically divided into separate, narrower streams based on the color and bloom time of each daffodil variety. Using four daffodil bulbs per square foot, every group—early-, early/mid-, mid-, mid/late- and late—is planted in its own separate stream based on bloom time.
@@ Line 28: / Line 29: @@
 '''MANOR HOUSE GARDENS  '''
-Planting the grounds around the Manor House began in 1982.  Large Japanese maples, American hollies and willow oaks were planted closer to the house with vines accenting the new home’s corners. The home site is one of the highest crests in northeast Cherokee County, with views of the North Georgia mountains. The house was placed 150 feet above the water gardens and 30 feet below the crest to capture the air currents to flow through the summer house.
+Planting the grounds around the Manor House began in 1982.  Large Japanese maples, American hollies and willow oaks were planted closer to the house with vines accenting corners. The home site is one of the highest crests in northeast Cherokee County, with views of the North Georgia mountains.
-Seven flowering terraces were planted with 150 feet of elevation variance from the Manor House down to the Valley Gardens. Surrounded by hydrangeas, rhododendrons and a 100-foot-long rose arbor, the Manor House Gardens has views of terraces, lawns, pools, waterfalls, undisturbed woodland, and the North Georgia mountains.
+Seven terraces were planted with 150 feet of elevation variance from the Manor House down to the Valley Gardens. Surrounded by hydrangeas, rhododendrons and a 100-foot-long rose arbor, the Manor House Gardens has views of terraces, lawns, pools, waterfalls, undisturbed woodland, and the North Georgia mountains.
 '''WATERLILY GARDENS'''
-The Waterlily Gardens have five ponds and 140 varieties of unique hardy and tropical waterlilies.  The ponds, fed by natural springs, create reflections of the waterlily blooms throughout the day.
+The Waterlily Gardens have 5 ponds and 140 varieties of unique hardy and tropical waterlilies.  The ponds, fed by natural springs, create reflections of the waterlily blooms.
 The Monet Bridge is modeled after the Japanese bridge in [[Water Lilies (Monet series)|Monet’s Waterlily Gardens]].  In tribute, the bridge is painted the same color as Monet’s and planted wisteria of the same variety and color on top. Wooden bridges, a covered bridge, a natural rock bridge, islands, waterfalls and a Japanese pagoda viewing deck add to the Waterlily Gardens.
 '''JAPANESE GARDENS'''
-The Japanese Gardens cover more than 40 acres with seven spring-fed ponds with islands, bridges, massive boulders and rocks. There are more than 1,000 Japanese maples representing over 100 varieties. Visitors enter the Hill and Pond Stroll Garden, “''Tsukiyama,''” though the Torii Gate and stroll along wide paths, past pagodas, 40 hand-crafted Japanese lanterns and decades old shrubs. Shrubs and trees are pruned in the tradition of Japanese bonsai. According to Japanese folklore, walking across the traditional [[Zig-zag bridge|Zigzag Bridge]] chases away evil spirits.
+The Japanese Gardens cover more than 40 acres with seven spring-fed ponds with islands, bridges, massive boulders and rocks. There are more than 1,000 Japanese maples representing many varieties. Visitors enter the Hill and Pond Stroll Garden, “''Tsukiyama,''” though the Torii Gate and stroll along wide paths, past pagodas, Japanese lanterns and decades old shrubs. Shrubs and trees are pruned in the tradition of Japanese bonsai. According to Japanese folklore, walking across the traditional [[Zig-zag bridge|Zigzag Bridge]] chases away evil spirits.
 In spring, weeping willows and cobalt-blue variegated water irises are reflected in the ponds. Ferns and the blossoms of Kurume, Satsuki, Indica and native azaleas; dogwoods; mountain laurels; Yoshino and Kwanzan cherry trees; trilliums and wildflowers are in bloom. In fall, the Japanese Gardens feature vivid foliage colors in shades of red, gold and crimson.