Day 1259: Spectacular gardens

By 6:45 am, we were loaded on buses and on our way across the area around Atlanta to four amazing gardens. Each possessed a distinctive character, reflective of their owners.  The climate here is ideal for day lilies and many other more delicate flowers.  Along our routes, I was struck by the mammoth magnolia grandiflora trees.  Many were fifty feet tall and thirty or forty feet across with their huge white flowers shining out like Christmas lights.

Our first stop was at Shady Rest gardens in a rural area an hour away from Atlanta.  Located on three acres of rolling hills, the owners have created a remarkable retreat with several quaint cabins, koi ponds, terraced beds and novel, fairy gardens which are Laurie's favorites.  They created intimate settings within a large space by carving out smaller gardens each with its own personality. We loved their Wiard of Oz bed that was decorated with a small tin man, ruby slippers and lilies named for the famous characters. Lots of cats roamed about the property and visited with guests.

One of Shady Rest's many kitties

Next was a smaller and more serene garden on the Etowah River.  The owners had maximized the views of the river and capitalized on the plentiful sunshine. They had a unique stone house and had restored an old barn to become an inviting guest house.

The third garden was set in a suburban neighborhood on a cul de sac.  Astonishingly, they had over five hundred varieties of day lilies and many companion plants on that small plot.  That's where I first saw the best of the show lily called Irish Royalty.  Magnificent!

Our final garden stop was at the Kennesaw Mountain Daylily Gardens.  They have five acres, a thriving hybridizing program, two acres of seedlings and thousands of named lilies.  They are the folks who hybridized Irish Royalty and just released it this year.  I must have it!

Tomorrow, we are loading up at 6:20 am!  The sights are worthy of the long days and short nights.