Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens facts for kids
The Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens is a fantastic 51-acre garden located near Savannah in Chatham County, Georgia. It used to be a special plant research station for the United States government. Now, it's a wonderful place where you can explore many different kinds of plants and beautiful themed gardens.
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How the Gardens Began
The story of the gardens started way back in the late 1880s. A woman named Mrs. H. B. Miller planted three giant Japanese timber bamboo plants. These bamboo plants grew very big! By 1915, they had formed an amazing bamboo forest.
This caught the eye of a famous plant expert named David Fairchild. In 1919, his friend, Barbour Lathrop, bought the land. He then leased it to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for just $1. This is how the site became a federal plant-introduction station. Important plant explorers like Frank Meyer helped develop the station. In 1979, the USDA closed the station. Then, in 1983, the land was given to the University of Georgia. It is still part of the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences today.
Exploring the Plant Collections
The Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens has many unique plant collections.
Bamboo and Palms
The gardens are home to about 60 different types of bamboo. This is thought to be the largest public bamboo collection east of California! Most of these bamboo plants were put in the ground in the 1920s and 1930s. You can also see 40 different kinds of palm trees here. These include many types of dwarf palmetto.
Camellias and Trees
The gardens have one of the biggest collections of camellia flowers outside of China. There are at least 36 different kinds! You can find them along the Judge Arthur Solomon Camellia Trail. Many impressive trees also grow here, providing lots of shade. Some examples are the China fir, southern magnolia, and live oak.
Themed Gardens
The gardens also feature several special themed areas:
- Rose Garden: This garden showcases many beautiful landscape roses.
- Native Plants: You can see plants that naturally grow in Georgia.
- Water Garden: A large 50,000-gallon water garden was finished in 2012. It sits by one of the site's lakes.
- Mediterranean Garden: This garden, completed in 2013, has a style like gardens found in the Mediterranean region.
- Woodland Shade Garden: Finished in 2015, this garden offers lovely views over a series of lakes.
- White Garden: Also completed in 2015, this garden has three grand white pergolas around a lawn.
- Formal Garden: This garden features four special planting areas surrounded by olive and white crapemyrtles.
- Georgia Trustees Garden: This garden is a copy of an old agricultural plot from 1733 to 1755. It shows plants that the first settlers in Georgia were expected to grow. These included mulberry leaves for silkworms, grapes, pomegranates, and cotton.
- Sun Garden: Created in 2016, this area is always getting new plants that love the sun.
Fun Events and Activities
The Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens hosts many special events and gardening classes all year long.
Seasonal Events
Some popular events include:
- Wild Game Supper: Held in February.
- Spring Plant Sale: Happens around Easter weekend in March or April.
- Autumn Gardenfest: Takes place in October.
- December Nights and Holiday Lights: From November to December, the gardens light up with 600,000 sparkling lights!
Pick Your Own Fruit
You can also pick your own fresh fruit here! They have strawberries from late March to May. Blackberries are available from mid-May to early July. The exact times for picking can change each year depending on the weather.
The Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens is supported by the University of Georgia, Chatham County, and a group called Friends of the Coastal Gardens. Parking is free, and there's a gift shop where you can buy souvenirs and garden items.
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