Gibbs Gardens: A 376-Acre Summer Bouquet with Blooms in Every Direction

No place on earth compares to Gibbs Gardens in June as summer transforms the estate into a huge, rambling 376-acre bouquet.

With elegant beauty and dramatic color, thousands of roses steal the show at Gibbs Gardens. Dramatic S-curved ribbons of vibrant Knockout roses sprawl across the Valley Gardens, classical trellises covered with blush pink New Dawn roses crown the Manor House Gardens while impertinent red Drift roses bursting with blooms cling to hills in the Inspiration Gardens.

Where does this cluster of pink waterlilies stop and where do the reflections begin? The water lily ponds are like trompe-l’œil paintings

Not to be outdone, massive plantings of daylilies begin blooming in June and continue through August. Thousands of blooms in pastel shades and red, orange, yellow, purple, white, apricot and pink flowers in long curving beds sweep across a background of vibrant green grass. “Daylilies have a special place in my heart,” said Jim Gibbs, the gardens’ owner/developer. “They remind me of sunshine and happy days.”

For a double dose of breath-taking beauty, follow the trail of photographers to the Monet Water Lily Gardens where tropical and hardy blooms create magical reflections in the ponds. “We’ve added lots of new varieties with taller stems this year. The flowers will come out of the water further, creating more distinctive and artistic reflections,” said Gibbs.

Annuals and perennials are planted throughout the gardens—from unique and inspiring arrangements adorning the Flower Bridge to sweeping borders of white caladiums and begonias lining the beds that lead to the Manor House Gardens.

Sprawling S-shaped curves of Knockout roses fill the Valley Gardens with splashes of vivid color against a backdrop of bright green grass.

Flanders Poppies are blooming now in the Wildflower Monarch Butterfly Gardens. Gibbs chose poppies for this garden because their strong, vivid colors—bright orange, red and salmon shades—attract butterflies as they fly across Georgia during their migration from Mexico to Canada. Adding stark contrast to the poppies, blue, lavender and purple larkspur, bright orange asclepias tuberosa butterfly weed and bright yellow coreopsis lure the butterflies to a delicious lunch at Gibbs Gardens.

Honored for excellence
Recognized as one of the Thirteen Best Botanical Gardens in America and named top garden in Georgia by the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Gibbs Gardens is a magical place to visit. Five feature gardens and 21 seasonal collections gardens offer unique and continuous delights to visitors. To learn more about Gibbs Gardens go to gibbsgardens.com.

SOURCE Gibbs Gardens