Armstrong Lockett House and W. P. Tomes Memorial Gardens

The Armstrong Lockett House and W.P. Tomes Memorial Gardens are located in Knoxville, Tennessee.  This southern antebellum home was built in 1834 and was once part of a 600 acre farm.  The gardens here are beautiful.  There are formal Italian gardens which include nine terraces and five fountains which lead right down to the Tennessee River.  There are plenty of blooming plants, including roses and magnolias.  For those who like a little history, the house is well-worth the visit. Inside is a collection of 18th century antique furniture and English silver dating back to the 1600s.

  Admission to tour the house and gardens is $7.00 for adults.  Children under 12 are admitted free.  The gardens are open Wednesday through Friday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and Saturday from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM.

Chattanooga Choo Choo Gardens

The Chattanooga Choo Choo Gardens are part of the Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel in Chattanooga, Tennessee.  The property was once part of a busy railroad terminal.  If you go, you can still see parts of the old terminal.  It's basically a courtyard surrounded by train cars and formal gardens.

There's a water garden with 400 fish, an herb garden, a rose garden with 500 rose bushes, and a day lily collection featuring 184 varieties. There's also a lovely Victorian-style gazebo which serves as a setting for many weddings.

  
The gardens are open from dawn to dusk.  Admission is free.

Donald E. Davis Arboretum

The Donald E. Davis Arboretum is located in Auborn, Alabama on the campus of Auborn University.  It covers 14 acres and features trees, shrubs and wildflowers of the southeastern United States.  The scenery is quite lovely, as winding paths take visitors over streams, through wooded areas dotted with native flowers.

The arboretum is open from dawn to dusk.  Admission is free.

Cator Woolford Gardens at the Frazer Center

The Cator Woolford Gardens at the Frazer Center are nestled in the Druid Hills of Atlanta, Georgia.  The property was once part of a 33-acre estate belonging to an entrepreneur by the name of Cator Woolford.  Then in the 1920s, a prominent garden architect, Frederick Law, designed the gardens to look as they do today.  These secluded gardens are an oasis of flowers and trees.  There's even a small stream that runs through the property. 

The gardens are a popular place for weddings, so it is not uncommon to see photographers taking pictures of wedding parties.  The Frazer Center itself, is a building that houses programs for disabled children.  I'm sure it's very therapeutic for the kids to enjoy the beauty of nature here!

Admission is free, and the gardens are open from dawn to dusk.  

Fred Hamilton Rhododendron Garden

Situated in the North Georgia Mountains, in Hiawassee, Georgia, the Fred Hamilton Rhododendron Garden is lovely place to spend an afternoon.  Visitors will see dogwood, tulip magnolias, azaleas, and of course, rhododendron.  There are over 400 varieties of them - 3000 plants all together.  When they're in bloom, the view is spectacular!

For those who like to hike, there are plenty of trails.  The scenery is gorgeous, with views of Lake Chatuge and Brasstown Bald, Georgia's highest mountain.

  
The garden is open daily from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.  Admission is $3.00 per person.

Gibbs Gardens

Today's garden is a perfect paradise for garden lovers. The Gibbs Gardens are located in northern Georgia, near the mountains in a town called Ball Ground.  These are the residential gardens of designer and founder of the Atlanta based, Gibbs Landscaping Company, Jim Gibbs.  They cover over 220 acres and feature 16 garden venues, including a Japanese Garden, Water Lily Garden, Daffodil Garden, and Manor House Garden.

The gardens were started in 1980, and planted with older trees to give it a look of age and character.  A stream flows through the property.  Thousands of naturalized ferns had been planted around the stream and surrounding springs, making it one of the largest ferneries in the country.  There are also 24 ponds, 32 bridge crossings, and 19 waterfalls.

The gardens are open Wednesday through Sunday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.  Admission is $20.00 for adults and $18.00 for children.

Ave Maria Grotto

Today's post is one of the most unusual gardens I've ever seen.  It's the Ave Maria Grotto located in Cullman, Alabama.  This three acre site contains 125 miniature replicas of churches, shrines and other famous building from around the world.   Known as "Jerusalem in the Miniature," this masterpiece is the creation of Brother Joseph Zoettle, a monk who lived at the St. Bernard Abby.  It began as a hobby in 1933, and evolved into this amazing work of art.  The last piece, the Basilica in Lourdes, was created in 1958 when he was 80 years old.

The Grotto is open daily from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.  Admission is $7.00 for adults and $4.50 for children.