Winter in the Gardens

On February 17, 2025March 7, 2025 By dinajohnstonIn Atlanta6 Comments

More from the Atlanta Botanical Gardens during our trip to Atlanta in December. Those white lawn ornaments light up at night. We didn’t go for the holiday night lights since we had dinner plans with friends and it was going to be 30 degrees when the sun went down. It was still fun to see the Christmas decorations during the day.

Even in winter there was a lot of color in the gardens although the orchids were inside the heated orchid house.

Roots hanging from the ceiling were interesting to walk under.

It was a chilly morning but nice to be out.

Waterfalls were everywhere including the one next to the earth goddess topiary. In June her hair was beautiful with lots of colors blooming on it but now it was just dead leaves (but still cool).

Beautiful tall trees throughout the gardens. This was our walk before lunch and we had a crazy packed afternoon so more to come on our trip.

Linking to A Stroll Thru Life.

Seeing red on a road trip

On February 12, 2025March 7, 2025 By dinajohnstonIn Atlanta7 Comments

Brett and I decided to take a road trip up to Atlanta in December to see friends, eat at our favorite restaurants and get a taste of some cold weather. We went the 2nd week because we didn’t want to be on the road too close to Christmas and deal with holiday traffic. I was thinking it would be too late to see any fall colors but as we got into Georgia I could see lots of yellow and orange.

On our first day there we bundled up and went to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens (one of my favorite spots to visit when we are there). It was cold when we first arrived but warmed up pretty quickly. There was so much red and orange. I was glad I wasn’t going to miss fall leaves (even though it was December).

The Alice in Wonderland topiary statues that we had seen during our trip in June were still there but they didn’t have any ivy on them so it was a little weird. You can see my post on them in bloom here.

The bright yellow Chihuly glass sculpture really stood out against the fall leaves.

Most of the taller trees had already lost their leaves but the shorter ones were in full color. I was expecting a drab and dreary trip like the ones we had when we would go back for Christmas years ago but the color was still around. We spent a lot of time hiking around town so more on that later.

Lots of Kermits at the gardens

On September 16, 2024November 14, 2024 By dinajohnstonIn Atlanta6 Comments

More pictures from the Atlanta Botanical Gardens from our trip in June.

We got there right when it opened on a weekday and there wasn’t too many other people there. Luckily as we walked through the front section a Mom with her babies walked right by. I was able to get a couple of shots before they headed into the bushes.

I saw several eastern towhees. They were not skittish at all. One landed on the sidewalk right in front of me.

The gardens have the most fabulous green frogs when you can find them. On my last trip here (November 2022) I couldn’t find any. This trip there were a lot of them in the big lotus and lily pond in front of the orchid building. I’m sure they keep the mosquitoes down.

There was also a turtle peeking out.

A dragonfly on a lotus bud.

The orchid/rainforest building is on the left with a few buildings in Midtown in the middle.

Walking down the elevated canopy walk.

Blooming in Atlanta

On September 5, 2024November 14, 2024 By dinajohnstonIn Atlanta9 Comments

While Brett and I were in Atlanta in June we spent a morning at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. It’s funny that in the 17 years I lived here I never visited the gardens and now it’s my favorite place to stop when we are there to see friends.

I was expecting to see a ton of butterflies but only saw a few.

I love hydrangeas. Tulips and hydrangeas are the two flowers I miss the most from Atlanta. Neither do well in central Florida. I saw the above oriental lace hydrangea and don’t remember seeing this type before.

The lotus was in full bloom.

They had fields of pitcher plants. I wish I could get them to grow in my yard but the one I have in a hanging basket is not doing well.

There was a display of Alice’s Wonderland Larger Than Life topiaries around the gardens.

All of the characters from the book were there. Above are just a few.

The view from the vegetable garden. You can’t take a picture of the Atlanta skyline without a few construction cranes in them.

The earth goddess is my favorite spot in the gardens. I think this is the first time I’ve seen her hair blooming in so many colors. We spent most of the morning here and I took a ton of pictures so more to come.

Getting ready for Christmas

On December 15, 2022December 4, 2022 By dinajohnstonIn Atlanta, Vacation4 Comments

It was early November and they were already decorating the Atlanta Botanical Gardens for the Christmas light show.

It was putting me in the holiday spirit even though it was warm while we were there.

Walking through the wooded path, the colors were popping. It felt very different from the color in central Florida (which was still the usual green).

Red, pink and orange in November

On December 12, 2022November 29, 2022 By dinajohnstonIn Atlanta, Vacation4 Comments

The Atlanta Botanical Gardens still had a lot of color blooming when I was there in early November. Atlanta hadn’t gotten a lot of cold weather yet and it was warm the morning I was there. We were hoping we would get to wear our jackets on this trip but that wasn’t the case.

Beauty in the gardens including the blooming lady statue behind the waterfall.

The trees also had a lot of color. I took a ton of pictures with my phone so more to come on this visit.

Magical plants at the Botanical Gardens

On October 30, 2018October 30, 2018 By dinajohnstonIn Atlanta4 Comments

When I was in Atlanta in mid-August visiting friends, I spent some time at the Botanical Gardens. It’s one of my favorite places to take pictures. They were having an exhibit of “Mythical Creatures” topiaries that was really cool to see.

Above are just a few of the growing “creatures” that come to life.

Lots of fun things to see at these gardens which were full of butterflies.

Linking to Wednesday Around the World.

Birds at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens

On October 22, 2018October 23, 2018 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography5 Comments

This young Carolina wren was hopping all over the place.

Usual birds: a sparrow, robin and baby mockingbird.

A rare bird for me, one that I don’t see in my area of Florida is the American Goldfinch. There were several in the back of the gardens eating the flowers.

I saw several hummingbirds buzzing around but I could only catch this one.

Lots of little critters at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens during my trip in August.

Our World Tuesday Graphic image-in-ing: weekly photo linkup

Beautiful Botanicals

On October 16, 2018October 16, 2018 By dinajohnstonIn Atlanta, flowers and plants4 Comments

All taken at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens during my trip in August.

Linking to Wednesday Around the World.

Flappers and jumpers at the botanical gardens

On August 19, 2013August 20, 2013 By dinajohnstonIn Atlanta, bird photography21 Comments

This bluebird was singing pretty loud on a light post.

I don’t know what this is. It flew onto the same post as the bluebird above. At first I thought it was a juvenile bluebird but that beak looks different. Any ideas? Cobb?