Few shrinking violets take the Gardens for Connoisseurs Tour every year.
“We get a lot of real serious gardeners coming in asking very specific questions,” said tour chair Sandra Erickson. “Last year, two master gardeners got into a heated argument over identifying a bush.”
Even if the proverbial fists don’t fly, visitors will see the unexpected in some of Atlanta’s most well-tended private yards and outdoor spaces during the self-guided driving tour May 7-8.
The fundraiser for the Atlanta Botanical Garden invites the garden-curious crowd, master or novice, behind the fences of nine homes. The stops are closer together than years past, making it possible to see everything in one afternoon, though the ticket is good for two days.
Hydrangeas, impatiens and roses will abound, but so will more whimsical sources of inspiration.
“Louise Poer’s garden is a fantasy of topiaries,” Erickson said, describing one such interesting stop near Howell Mill Road.
Tourgoers are invited to ask questions about what they’ll be seeing this year, including beekeeping, collecting rainwater and growing homey vegetable and herb gardens alongside more formal spaces. The tour, started in 1984 by Ryan Gainey, Tom Woodham and Mary Wayne Dixon, has become a local Mother’s Day tradition and draws thousands.
Gardens for Connoisseurs Tour
10 a.m.-5 p.m. May 7 and May 8, with free admission to Atlanta Botanical Garden from 5-7 p.m. on those days for tour ticket holders.
$25 advance; $30 on tour days. Children younger than 12 admitted free.
Buy tickets online at www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org; by calling 404-591-1597 or visiting individual gardens on tour days (cash or check only). Several businesses listed on the garden’s Web site also sell tickets. Tour map available online.
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