Two weeks ago I wrote the article 7 Places in Georgia You HAVE to Visit This Spring that received a ton of attention. The Atlanta Journal Constitution reposted it on their site, and some of the places I wrote about posted it on social media as well.
However, the post even got the attention from places that did not make it on the list and this is where I will introduce you to Gibbs Gardens. Gibbs Gardens is a 220-acre garden located in Northern Cherokee County. The drive is a long one, depending on where you’re at & traffic it might even take someone two hours to get from Atlanta to the gardens but don’t let that stop you!
When I visited I was astonished by the number of people who were there at noon on a Tuesday. The park is only two years old and was a struggle getting too, however the scenery was beautiful and attracted a good number of people on a weekday. Parking is free and right next to the entrance so you don’t have to walk far to get to your destination.
Right now, Gibbs Garden is promoting their Daffodil Festival, which happens to be the largest display in the country (Just taking a guess that it is Mr. Gibbs’ favorite flower). The yellow flowers cover 50 of the 220 acres with more than 20 million blooms. It is a sight to see! Just do not forget to take your allergy medicine before you go!
While the daffodils sound wonderful, my advice would be to go after their time is up. While only two flowers are blooming right now, the daffodils and the cherry blossoms, you will get the most out of your visit if you plan on going in May. You can check their Bloom Calendar here and you’ll see exactly what I am talking about. As many as 6 different flowers bloom during this time period in May so you’ll be able to experience a variety of colors and plants!
While I was not a big fan of the flowers, I thought the water layout was really cool. Mr. Gibbs, the owner, spent six years just looking for the right location for his gardens! One of his main concerns was to have a natural water source. The water looks really cool with the reflections of the flowers all around it.
They have concessions within the gardens and a shaded area to eat your food, but if you’re planning on picnicking next to the flowers you are out of luck! They do have an area for you to eat by bringing your own food outside the park, but this means you’ll either have to eat before or after you stroll the trails as you’re not allowed to bring the food in. I would recommend bringing water as the trails are long and change altitudes often. The only area with refreshments is at the front so you’ll have to wait and walk back if you forgot to bring a bottle or two!
If gardening is a hobby of yours Gibbs Gardens offers multiple garden talks a month. They focus on different groups of plants based on the season so everything is relevant to what is blooming at the time. The gardens also has a music festival “Twilight in the Gardens” where they extend the hours of the gardens and have live music, there you will be able to purchase wine, beer and food throughout the evening.
If you have a girlfriend I advise you to take her here, she will absolutely love it. Guaranteed. While the price might be a little high for a few hours walking the trails, she will think it is definitely worth it. If you enjoyed your visit so much, you can turn in your one day pass to get credit towards their season passes.
The gardens are never the same! Every two weeks the scenery changes are new flowers begin to blossom and old ones go away. To make sure visitors get a chance to see it all, Gibbs Gardens offers a 4-Season pass that can be upgraded for unlimited visits much like what you would find getting a season pass to Six Flags Over Georgia. To find out more about the pricing on tickets visits their website.
This is definitely a place you will want to visit this spring. But don’t wait any longer! The flowers are already blooming and stay that way for a short period of time.
Gibbs Gardens
1987 Gibbs Drive
Ball Ground, GA 30107
