Gibbs Gardens, a World-Class Garden in North Georgia

I recently visited Gibbs Gardens in North Georgia, and the saturated beauty of the place left me searching for superlative words to describe it.This bridge at Gibbs Gardens is a replica of Monet's famous bridge at Giverny.Jim Gibbs, founder of Gibbs Landscaping Company, spent six years looking for the perfect area to develop a world-class garden. Located about an hour north of Atlanta, the site covers over 220 rolling acres and is one of the largest residential gardens in the country. Mr. Gibbs began developing the Gardens around the Manor House in 1980. The Gibbs family still lives on site, but Mr. Gibbs graciously opens the Gardens to the public year round.

I took over 200 photos. Here is a sampling; for the most part I will let the images speak for themselves.

Views near the entrance to Gibbs Gardens:

The Manor House:

The pool behind the Manor:

The rich colors remind me of an Easter basket! The stiking green lawns are a mixture of fescue grass that stays green all year:

 

After exploring areas adjacent to and near the Manor House, we caught a tram that took us to the Japanese Garden:

Reflections in the water:

From the Japanese Gardens we leisurely walked back toward the entrance, past fern glades, woodland streams, and pleasurable resting spots:

I am still resting in the glow I felt walking through Gibbs Gardens. Joy to you all!   Deb

February Beach Trip to Gulf Shores

February at Alabama's Gulf Shores can be iffy. The weather can be cold, windy, and rainy; or it can be warm, sunny, and wonderful. Or some combination. My family's recent beach trip to Gulf Shores was perfect! During the day, the temps were warm enough to be on the beach in shirt sleeves and shorts. I even saw people in the ocean. No doubt these were "snow birds" escaping the frigid air of places like Michigan and Minnesota, where temps in the 70's are considered high summer and as good as it gets for dipping in the water. Nope, not for me. The water was still cold, despite the balmy air. I did enjoy our condo's hot tub and heated indoor pool, however.

The beach is photogenic year-round. Here are a selection of images from among the many I took:

A view from our condo of the State Pier at Gulf State Park:

What people do at the beach in February:

Besides the usual beach activities, we enjoyed a 3-hour kayak tour of the nearby Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge with WildNative Tours.

We also spent time exploring inside Gulf State Park, which was very close to our condo. The park has an amazing series of trails. These photos were taken inside the park:

Lake Shelby is the largest of three freshwater lakes inside Gulf State Park, just across the road from the salt waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The ecosystem here is amazing.

The next two photos may look a little dangerous, but be assured I used my telephoto!

I visited the State Pier, which stretches out into the Gulf, a couple of times to see if anyone was catching fish. Once I heard a guy say, "I told you chicken would work!" When I turned, I saw him hauling a decent sized fish up. That was the only fish I saw anyone catch.

I wasn't the only one watching the fishermen. Pelicans were hanging around the fish cleaning station, clearly waiting on handouts.

Our condo had wonderful views. Sunrise and sunset over the Gulf is always something special. This view from our bedroom wakened me one morning. I took a photo right through the window. It was worth waking up for!

Now I am home, and it is time to turn my attention to my garden!

Best wishes to you all!  Deb