Woodlands Garden

Woodlands Garden
Map
TypePublic garden
LocationDecatur, Georgia, United States
Coordinates33°47′09″N 84°18′11″W / 33.78594°N 84.30312°W / 33.78594; -84.30312
Area7 acres (2.8 ha)
Created2002
StatusOpen all year
Websitehttp://www.woodlandsgarden.org/

Woodlands Garden is an eight acre mostly-wooded public garden located in Decatur, Georgia.[1][2] The Garden's mission is to preserve a woodland garden as an urban sanctuary to educate and engage the community in the natural world. This public greenspace serves as a native plant habitat for the Georgia Piedmont region, with over 30 species of trees.[1] Ferns, wildflowers, vines, and shrubs are common features of the diverse plant collection. The Garden became a protected greenspace in 2002,[1] when it was donated by the Morse family to become publicly accessible.[3] The property has been influenced by landscape architect Edward L. Daugherty,[4] among others.[3]

In 2015, Woodlands Garden completed a capital campaign to support an expansion to the Garden property and improvements to the current site as part of a master planning process. The multi-year project included

  • updating visitor center
  • improved parking and creation of safe school bus drop-off zone
  • enhancements to the site of former Morse home, including ADA accessible paths

Woodlands Garden is open every day of the year from dawn to dusk for free. In addition to being a tranquil place for reflection, there are several workshops, events, and programs hosted on site. On Sundays, during warm weather months, local musicians perform during Music in the Garden sessions. Family-friendly annual programs such as Fairies in the Garden, Stories in the Woods, and Music, Art, & Youth showcase (M.A.Y. Fair) are organized to engage the community and bring together people of all ages.

The small staff maintains and runs the garden with the help of skilled volunteers and interns. For ways to get involved at this hidden greenspace visit the Woodlands Garden website (www.woodlandsgarden.org), the Facebook page (Woodlands Garden of Decatur) or the Instagram account (@woodlandsgarden) to learn more.

References

  1. ^ a b c Jill Vejnoska (March 22, 2013). "Garden tours: Welcome to spring: Get out and enjoy Atlanta's glorious gardens. Here are a few to explore". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. D.1.
  2. ^ Katie Leslie (September 25, 2008). "Garden: Veggies claim space: Gardeners more at home cultivating vegetables, garden tour reveals". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. E.1.
  3. ^ a b Sarah Anne Voyles (July 31, 2013). "Green Space: Woodlands Garden enters second phase". Neighbor Newspapers. Archived from the original on August 7, 2013.
  4. ^ Katie Leslie (October 16, 2008). "Shaping the land: Atlanta landscape pioneer has always had an eye for possibilities". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. E.1.