ART BLOOMS
Experience the permanent art collection surrounded by spring color. Over 20,000 daffodil blooms set the stage for various sculptures throughout the Gardens. Each year, visitors will also be able to view the work of local and regional artists through a temporary exhibit. Learn about pieces and the artists through our Art Ambassadors who are ready to share the stories behind the artwork.
BONSAI EXHIBIT
Carefully and skillfully maintained by curator Rodney Clemons and a host of volunteers, the bonsai exhibit at Smith-Gilbert Gardens is a highlight of our collection.
Here, minutes melt into pleasant hours. Here, an appreciation of nature may be experienced on a lovely scale. Here, forms are felt as songs.
This exhibit is open April through October. The exhibit is closed for bonsai winterization from November through March.
A Garden with Wings Butterfly House
Opened in 2016, A Garden with Wings Butterfly House is a seasonal treat for adults and children alike!
Open seasonally during the summer, the exhibit features native butterflies and their host and nectar plants. Visitors can expect to encounter the wonder of butterflies in all stages of life, from egg to adult butterfly. Host plants such as tulip poplar and passionflower vine serve as great caterpillar watching stations, and nectar plants like lantana and butterfly weed provide awesome opportunities to watch these pollinators in action.
From there, you can hop on over to the Pollinator Garden, where you will find not only butterflies but honey bees, hummingbirds and other important pollinators at work. Both gardens showcase plants that grow well in the Georgia climate, providing the opportunity to check out what might work in your own backyard!
Stay tuned to our calendar for the opening and closing dates of this fan favorite exhibit!
A HEALthier you
The Gardens create the perfect setting for health and wellness. During September and October, take a walking challenge through the trails, meditate while you enjoy a yoga class or capture nature on canvas with a plein air workshop. These are just some of the ways you and your family can achieve ‘A Healthier You” at the Gardens.
PLAY…in Nature!
Discover play structures throughout the Gardens. Whether it is walking through the Noodle Forest or visiting the Hobbit Habitat, these imaginative adventures in nature brings out the kid in all of us.
Sculpture Collection
Bob Gilbert and Richard Smith were avid art collectors. The permanent sculpture collection was mindfully acquired through visits to exhibits around the country and artists commissions. Their support of new and emerging artists led to a collection of work that indicates a period of time in each artists’ development. Learn more about each work of art and the artist who created it through interpretive panels provided in the Gardens and tours given by Art Ambassadors during the annual Art Blooms exhibit.
