Volunteering & Donations

Smith-Gilbert Gardens depends upon the gracious support of the community. Dedicated volunteers from the area along with Cobb County Master Gardeners help maintain this sanctuary for future generations.

Gardening Volunteers (“Co-Horts”, as we call them) are needed on Mondays when the Gardens are closed to the public to maintain the Gather ‘n’ Grow, Rose, and General Gardens. All experience levels are welcome! Come share your expertise or learn with the best. Tour Docents and House Docents to help in the office and Gift Shop are needed every other day of the week to assist us. Our Bonsai Study Group meets on the second Saturday of each month to moniter the bonsai collection.

All Volunteers must submit an application and participate in a Volunteer Training.

If you would like to become a trained Docent at Smith-Gilbert Gardens contact us now to sign up for Winter 2012 training classes to learn about how to give tours of Smith-Gilbert Gardens, the Hiram Butler House, the Garden Sculpture and also become familiar with the over 3,000 different species of plants in the Garden. These classes will be held on 5 consecutive Wednesdays starting February 15 – March 14  from 10am – 12noon. At the conclusion of the sessions, you will be fully prepared to take groups on guided tours through the Gardens.Come and join a great group of volunteers and participate in the many activities we have at Smith-Gilbert Gardens. If interested please contact Jim Parks, Volunteer Coordinator at 770 919 0248 or via email jparks@smithgilbertgardens.com. We look forward to having you join us.

2-3-12 Our weekly message to Monday volunteers from Doug Davis, Supreme Allied Commander.

“When the world wearies and society fails to satisfy, there is always the garden.” – Minnie Aumonier

. . . and we have both a lovely place to work and a beautiful Garden to enjoy!

Many of us are now looking over our shoulders expecting Mother Nature to send a bout of very cold weather.  I’m trying to take the approach that there isn’t very much I can do about the climate and I am going to enjoy the spring-like conditions while they last.  “Mize well” as my Tennessee relatives used to say.  In the Garden, many of our plants are responding with same attitude . . . Daffodils, Hellebores, Hardy Cyclamen, deciduous Magnolias, Camellias, Witch Hazels, Paperbush, etc. are looking very pretty just now.   I saw the first crocus of the season right next to the warm greenhouse yesterday.  Keep your eyes peeled while you’re here as this spate of mild weather appears to be steady for the near term and will encourage further flowering.

So for this coming Monday (while enjoying the scenery), we have the following objectives:

1)      Locate once and for all, the buried Confederate gold which I am convinced is somewhere here on this sixteen acres.

2)      Weeding the Camellia Garden . . . some of those cool weather weeds have gotten a head start down there and I don’t want to spray herbicide because of emerging daffodils, etc.

3)      Cleaning of plant signs led by the capable and experienced SUSAN SCHROEDER!!!!  Come and learn from the very best how to leave those important plant markers spotless!  Listen with enchantment while Susan tells you of how she abused her two young, innocent, small girls and cleaned every dadgum plant sign in the Garden almost three years ago!  (No doubt this will be fodder for the therapist’s office.)

4)      Complete some dead heading in the general Garden area.  (General Garden is now on leave and has left his command to Private Pete Moss until Valentine’s Day.)

If you can maketh iteth, letteth me knoweth.  If you have a volunteer assignment preference (sorry # 1 is already filled) please so indicate.

If you’re sick and tired of getting these silly notices, let me know and I will remove you so you aren’t bothered anymore. 

Best wishes to all (You too, Casey!)

Doug Davis

Executive Director

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If you are interested in volunteering or making an offline donation, please contact us at 770.919.0248, or jparks@smithgilbertgardens.com or sschroeder@smithgilbertgardens.com.