Events

Tour Location 1: Mary & John Huntz

1693 Noble Drive, Atlanta, GA 30306 | Tour Map

In the heart of Morningside, this cottage garden evokes the small town feel of the South. Showcasing evergreens and woody shrubs, old camellia japonicas White Empress, Rev. John Drayton and Governor Mouton are intermingled with hydrangeas, crepe myrtles, gardenias, azaleas, hellebores, and ferns. To round out this delightful plant lover’s garden are white callicarpa, “Tokyo Tower” Chinese Fringetree, Washington Hawthorn, the deciduous magnolias “Ann” and “Stellata”, and a fruit bearing pineapple guava. Master Gardener Mary Huntz has won many ribbons at the Southeastern Flower Show, including the Camellia Trophy with her Governor Mouton.

Tour Location 3: Leslie Swain

700 Greenview Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30305 | Tour Map

Over 28 years, Mrs. Swain has transformed a lawn her sons once played soccer upon into an edible landscape reminiscent of her mother-in-law’s English country garden. Abounding with flowers, herbs, vegetables and fruit trees, this urban garden showcases an olive tree, a pomegranate tree, a huge Kadota fig tree, a pear tree, blueberry bushes, and a bay laurel more than 12 feet high. Amidst hydrangeas, elderberries, asparagus and fragrant tea olives are juxtaposed varieties of graceful old English roses and peonies. Employing sustainable gardening practices, watering is from rain barrels with organic sprays limited to the roses.

Tour Location 5: Jean & Bill Astrop

205 Blackland Road, Atlanta, GA 30305 | Tour Map

A passionate gardener, Jean Astrop transformed what was once a “jungle of fallen trees and weeds’” into a woodland garden featuring native azaleas, viburnum, hellebores, magnolias, camellias, sasanquas, and an impressive hydrangea collection. Instead of adhering to a design plan, the gardens surrounding this Philip Trammell Shutze designed house have evolved over time. At first a few paths with benches, then a garden house to replace a storm damaged building, and finally a boxwood parterre garden where once grass refused to grow. During a drought year, Ray Padgett built a 6,000-gallon cistern that collects rainwater from the hillsides and gutters to circulate through a waterfall/pond and irrigate the landscape.

Tour Location 7: Bernadine & Jean Paul Richard

1295 Heards Ferry Road, Atlanta, GA 30328 | Tour Map

What was once a “wilderness” overgrown with brush, poison ivy, privet, and wisteria, the Richards have transformed into nine enchanting garden spaces covering 5 acres. A Herculean task, they first cleared a path and built a potting shed. Today the shed is a stone garden house and paths lead to themed gardens that incorporate sculptures and water features. Discover the Meditation, Symphony, Waterfall, Winged Victory, and Chapel gardens, as well as a labyrinth, a camellia garden, a koi and lotus pond. Graceful old Cunninghamia trees are the largest stand in the Southeast.

Tour Location 9: Boxwood House Garden

3053 Habersham Road, Atlanta, GA 30305 | Tour Map

Designed by Philip Trammell Shutze in the 1920s, Boxwood reflects the picturesque English Manor style. Recently, Pak Heydt & Associates renovated the house and John Howard with the Howard Design Studio team restored the original gardens, while seamlessly adding new garden rooms. Covering almost 5 acres, exquisite garden spaces include a grand lawn, armillary parterre, a rill garden with twin water rills, koi pond, aviary, and culinary garden. Plant collections showcase roses, camellias, peonies, azaleas and hydrangeas. Look for the dovecote with marble doves. Featured in Town & Country.

Photo Courtesy of Emily Jenkins Followill
 

Tour Location 11: Ryan Gainey

129 Emerson Avenue, Decatur, GA 30030 | Tour Map

A 105-year-old home is nestled within a Southern cottage garden setting of antique and heirloom plants. Originally the site of a cut flower nursery founded in 1917, today this romantic garden bursts with roses, camellias, and boxwood topiaries. The plant collection provides fragrance and color year-round, while greenhouses and a tree house delight all ages. Enamored with formal garden design seen on his many travels, Mr. Gainey is an internationally recognized garden designer.