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Welcome to Smith-Gilbert Gardens!
Smith-Gilbert Gardens is the City of Kennesaw’s botanical garden. Voted one of the top five places to take children in the Atlanta metro area, the 17-acre property is rich with botanical, artistic and historic treasures.
Fifteen themed garden spaces, anchored by the reconstruction era Hiram Butler House, contain more than 4,000 curated plant species. The award-winning “Garden with Wings” butterfly house and pollinator garden promote conservation of beneficial Georgia native plants and insects. The crevice garden displays a gardening style and plant collection rarely seen in the southeastern United States. Robust collections of hydrangeas, camellias, conifers and roses along with woodland and perennial gardens inspire visitors to explore variety for their own landscapes. Blending horticulture and art, the bonsai collection includes more than 70 specimens, diligently trained during monthly work sessions that are open to garden visitors. Thirty remarkable garden sculptures by nationally and internationally known artists add drama to the landscape. Koi ponds, a waterfall, and child-friendly play structures throughout the property round out the experience.
Smith-Gilbert Gardens’ conservation mission is evident throughout the gardens. A minimal-toxicity ethic means that we curtail the use of chemical treatments in garden maintenance. Through best practices in collection management and collaborations with Georgia Power, State Botanical Garden of Georgia and Atlanta Botanical Garden, we work to preserve global plant biodiversity and improve local habitat. Our educational programs share knowledge of and passion for nature, while inspiring participants to be conservation minded.
We hope that you will enjoy your visit to our website, but most importantly, we invite you to experience firsthand the beauty and fascination of Smith-Gilbert Gardens.
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NEWS
Facebook Posts
Garden Manager Lisa Bartlett will be speaking to the East Cobb Master Gardeners about one of her favorite plants, Hydrangea. She will cover everything about them from how to change their color to pruning. This Tuesday 1/14 at 7 PM. It is open to the public and is in the new East Cobb Library.
4 days ago
Interesting topic on my favorite plant. Will be there looking for some helpful tips.
Nice work, Bonsai Study Group! You made the news Marietta Daily Journal
City of Kennesaw Government
BONSAI: Garden volunteers create living works of art
www.mdjonline.com
Every month, artists come to Smith-Gilbert Gardens in Kennesaw to practice a very slow art form.4 days ago
EVENTS
Guided Bird Walks
3rd Saturday of every month, 9:30-11:00 a.m.
A haven for wild birds
Smith-Gilbert Gardens lies along a major migratory flyway, and is a convenient destination to see a great diversity of wild birds. The gardens are an oasis for the scores of migratory bird species that fly through each spring and fall. Dozens of year-round resident bird species call the property home as well. A diverse habitat attracts and sustains them: seventeen acres of forest edges, grassy areas, perennial borders, as well as ponds and streams. The garden staff curtail the use of chemical treatments and so the property offers a healthy buffet of fruits, seeds and bugs for the birds and other wildlife to gobble up.Watch with us!
Come enjoy watching birds with us! Our expert birding guides have spent years learning to identify birds by sight and sound, and have a passion for wild bird conservation. You’ll learn keys to bird identification, where you can look for wild birds in your neighborhood, how to make your own backyard a habitat for wild birds, and more. This monthly meetup is included with garden admission.
A Fun Way To Volunteer
Come join our team of docents! These highly-trained volunteers lead interactive tours of the collections at the Gardens. Docents enhance the visitor experience by facilitating discussion and serving as a vital link between our plant and art collection and our visitors.
Beginning Monday, January 27th, docent candidates will receive the training that will prepare them to lead garden tours and assist with garden programs. Classes will be conducted weekly at the Gardens, from 9:30 am to 12:00 pm for six consecutive weeks. Each week will cover a different aspect of tours and programs: History of Smith-Gilbert Gardens, Garden Art, Basic Plant Knowledge and Our Collections, Leading A Successful Adult Tour, Leading a Successful Youth Tour, and Safety Precautions and Procedures. Participants will learn about the variety of plants, flowers, and sculptures in the 17 acre Gardens as well as the story of the property and its historic Hiram Butler House. In addition, they will become familiar with techniques for presenting educational programs to children and adults.
After training, docents are called upon to lead or assist with groups touring the Gardens. Weekday morning availability is imperative for this position. Besides leading tours, docents can become involved in programs such as Garden Stories, Butterfly Ambassadors, Girl Scout Badge Days, and more!
This a great position for those with a love of nature and sharing their knowledge with others. No background in horticulture, botany, or gardening is required. We will teach you all you need to know!
Docents are required to submit a formal application, available on the website, and must submit to a background check and drug screen. Click here to get started.
For more information, please contact Cheri Collins at 770-919-0248 or via e-mail, ccollins@kennesaw-ga.gov.
A Fun Way To Volunteer
Come join our team of docents! These highly-trained volunteers lead interactive tours of the collections at the Gardens. Docents enhance the visitor experience by facilitating discussion and serving as a vital link between our plant and art collection and our visitors.
Beginning Monday, January 27th, docent candidates will receive the training that will prepare them to lead garden tours and assist with garden programs. Classes will be conducted weekly at the Gardens, from 9:30 am to 12:00 pm for six consecutive weeks. Each week will cover a different aspect of tours and programs: History of Smith-Gilbert Gardens, Garden Art, Basic Plant Knowledge and Our Collections, Leading A Successful Adult Tour, Leading a Successful Youth Tour, and Safety Precautions and Procedures. Participants will learn about the variety of plants, flowers, and sculptures in the 17 acre Gardens as well as the story of the property and its historic Hiram Butler House. In addition, they will become familiar with techniques for presenting educational programs to children and adults.
After training, docents are called upon to lead or assist with groups touring the Gardens. Weekday morning availability is imperative for this position. Besides leading tours, docents can become involved in programs such as Garden Stories, Butterfly Ambassadors, Girl Scout Badge Days, and more!
This a great position for those with a love of nature and sharing their knowledge with others. No background in horticulture, botany, or gardening is required. We will teach you all you need to know!
Docents are required to submit a formal application, available on the website, and must submit to a background check and drug screen. Click here to get started.
For more information, please contact Cheri Collins at 770-919-0248 or via e-mail, ccollins@kennesaw-ga.gov.
Led by Bonsai Curator Rodney Clemons
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Open to visitors; included with garden admission
Rodney Clemons visits Smith-Gilbert Gardens on the 2nd Saturday of each month (some exceptions as noted on the events calendar) to oversee, evaluate, care for, and prune the Gardens’ bonsai collection. Along with a small group of well-trained and very experienced volunteers, Rodney provides expert care in all aspects of maintaining the collection.
Visitors are welcome to ask questions and talk with Rodney and the volunteers to learn more about this ancient art.
If you’re interested in learning more about bonsai, please plan a visit on the 2nd Saturday.
(Please note: We request you do not bring your personal bonsai trees to the Gardens.)
A Fun Way To Volunteer
Come join our team of docents! These highly-trained volunteers lead interactive tours of the collections at the Gardens. Docents enhance the visitor experience by facilitating discussion and serving as a vital link between our plant and art collection and our visitors.
Beginning Monday, January 27th, docent candidates will receive the training that will prepare them to lead garden tours and assist with garden programs. Classes will be conducted weekly at the Gardens, from 9:30 am to 12:00 pm for six consecutive weeks. Each week will cover a different aspect of tours and programs: History of Smith-Gilbert Gardens, Garden Art, Basic Plant Knowledge and Our Collections, Leading A Successful Adult Tour, Leading a Successful Youth Tour, and Safety Precautions and Procedures. Participants will learn about the variety of plants, flowers, and sculptures in the 17 acre Gardens as well as the story of the property and its historic Hiram Butler House. In addition, they will become familiar with techniques for presenting educational programs to children and adults.
After training, docents are called upon to lead or assist with groups touring the Gardens. Weekday morning availability is imperative for this position. Besides leading tours, docents can become involved in programs such as Garden Stories, Butterfly Ambassadors, Girl Scout Badge Days, and more!
This a great position for those with a love of nature and sharing their knowledge with others. No background in horticulture, botany, or gardening is required. We will teach you all you need to know!
Docents are required to submit a formal application, available on the website, and must submit to a background check and drug screen. Click here to get started.
For more information, please contact Cheri Collins at 770-919-0248 or via e-mail, ccollins@kennesaw-ga.gov.
