Is social media a big part of your life?  Then you should follow us on Facebook, and now is a good time to start.  At this phase of the year spring ephemerals appear and disappear within a few weeks.  By following us on Facebook you won’t miss any of our beautiful spring flowering plants.

If you find you love being at the Gardens, please consider becoming a member or joining us as a volunteer.  As a participant in the American Horticultural Society’s reciprocal program, belonging to Smith-Gilbert Gardens entitles you to free admission to over 200 other American parks and gardens. (more…)

Happy New Year!

Winter is here (brrr sometimes!) and new beginnings are underway in many areas of the Garden.  Whether it’s form or texture or flowers there is always something happenin’ over our sixteen acres!

Of course, keeping an eye on the weather conditions is one of the best predictors of what might be going on here.  The last two winters have been particularly mild and almost everything flowered a month or so before a ‘normal’ calendar said it should.  Thus far, our mostly mild fall and early winter conditions seem to promise a repeat of those recent trends.  In other words, visit often!  (more…)

by Dr. Gilbert

I always hate for cold weather to arrive in the garden. All or almost all the exciting plants have bloomed and have gone to rest. It is correct that there are a few winter annuals such as flowering kale and pansies. But we have been looking at these for so long that it does not create much excitement. This year there is something new to get excited about Cool Wave Pansies. One of these new plants spread up to 30 inches thus are great for winter hanging baskets and in flowerbeds. One Cool Wave will completely fill a hanging basket and spill out over the side to hang.

The differences between pansies and violas have always been a little confusing to me. I have recently learned that pansies have four petals pointing upward and one pointing down whereas violas have three petals up and two pointing down. Violas are usually smaller. (more…)

Stefanie Haerynck, SGG Education Coordinator

Christmas must be here! While you might already be in full Christmas decoration mode, it usually takes Belgians and many West-European cultures a bit longer.  Although Belgium is a highly secularized country, its roots are anchored in Christianity.  Many Roman Catholic feasts are accepted as official holidays in Belgium. As a consequence these traditional holidays are celebrated but in a much different way than former decades.

December has to show up on the calendar and even then a special day has to pass before the Christmas tree goes up. You will rarely see Christmas decorations before December 6th with the exception of an advent wreath. Why? Well, December 6th is St. Nicholas. That morning most children will find that St. Nicholas visited them overnight. Before going to bed on the eve of his visit, children will put their shoe next to the fireplace or door with a carrot, some sugar cubes, a glass of milk or bottle of beer and maybe a letter for St. Nicholas. In exchange they will wake up to juicy Clementines, fresh chocolate figures, ginger-coffee biscuits in the shape of St. Nicholas (think Biscoff cookie), marzipan and presents such as games and toys. (more…)

Stefanie has been volunteering at SGG for a little over a year.  She is joining the Garden staff as our Education Coordinator.  Originally from Belgium, Stefanie and her husband Hans have been living in the United States since 2004.  She holds a Master’s degree in History.  In her professional career she has worked in marketing, tourism and has served as an official tour guide of the historical medieval city of Bruges and Torhout in Belgium.  The birth of her son Victor 6 years ago opened new avenues for Stefanie including teaching art education and lessons on international awareness.   (more…)

The windswept look of this Hinoki cypress bonsai forest makes it a favorite.

By Dr. Robert Gilbert

I got interested in bonsai by accident. I went to a shopping mall on a Saturday sometime in the late 70s. I am not a shopper so this must have been some sort of emergency; maybe I had run out of underwear or something? In the center of the mall was a bonsai exhibit sponsored by the Atlanta Bonsai Society. From that point on I was hooked and some think I became obsessed with the subject. I took lessons, went to conventions, joined one study club and formed another of my own which is still in existence. (more…)

Loropetalum is the pink color in foreground

By Shon Cameron, SGG Head Gardener

This month we are going to talk about a wonderfully durable shrub that keeps its lovely foliage year ‘round.  As if that is not enough, it also flowers in the spring!  This great addition to the landscape is the Asian born sensation (China, Japan, South-East Asia) known by its Latin given name Loropetalum.  It is also called “Fringe Flower” because of the strap shaped blooms that range from white to purplish pink depending upon type.  The “loro” in Loropetalum actually mean ‘strap’ and petalum, in the Greek language, denotes petal of the flowers.  (more…)

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

By Pat Pepper

There are few birds that elicit such delight when seen as Hummingbirds do. The fact that they can hover, turn on a dime, and feed where we can easily see them may have something to do with their popularity. When the sun shines on the male’s red throat, known as a gorget, we are in awe of such natural brilliance.

Many birders have been commenting on the paucity of Hummingbirds at their feeders right now. One explanation might be that the hummingbirds have been busy nesting and are finding natural food sources such as flowers and insects. The activity at feeders should start picking up very soon, however. (more…)