Hundreds of crape myrtles in majestic allées
Gibbs Gardens is nature’s magical place all year long but summer—with vibrant color everywhere—is the most amazing season. Thousands of colorful roses create ribbons of blooms across the Valley Gardens while allées of majestic crape myrtles march along the gentle slopes. All set against a backdrop of annual and perennial flowers—too many to count—bursting into bloom in every direction, adding pops of brilliant color throughout the gardens.
Nature’s magical place
“This is one of the most beautiful times of the year in the gardens. There’s so much in bloom it’s a festival of colors, sizes and different views,” said Jim Gibbs, the owner/developer of Gibbs Gardens. “The gardens vast size, natural rolling terrain and elevation changes create garden vistas with depth, sweeping curves and dimension for an exceptional garden experience for our members and guests.”
Roses steal the show
“There is nothing subtle about our roses—they are the summer divas of our gardens,” said Gibbs. Creating dramatic stretches of vibrant color on lawns, trellises and hillsides, more than 1,000 rose bushes—with blooms in shades of red and pink to yellow and white—create stunning garden views. More roses are planted on four levels near the Manor House where White Dawn climbing roses on metal arches are planted in long curved beds flanked by lush green lawns.
“The fragrant, climbing New Dawn blush pink roses—entwined on our 130-foot-long wooden arbor—can leave a two-inch-thick carpet of pale pink petals beneath the arbor,” adds Gibbs.
New to the gardens, the Drift Collection of Roses, a lush and full dwarf variant, clings to steep angles and huge boulders in the just-opened new Inspiration Garden.
Majestic allées of crape myrtles
In July and August, the majestic Crape Myrtle Garden stands tall with pink, mauve, lavender and red blossom-covered branches reaching skyward. More than 500 crape myrtle trees bloom throughout Gibbs Gardens. Near the entrance 100 white Natchez crape myrtle trees sweep visitors eyes toward views of the North Georgia Mountains. Another 40 Natchez crape myrtles, with peeling cinnamon-colored bark, form a serpentine walk from the Grandchildren’s Sculpture Garden to the Japanese Gardens. Above the Rose Garden an allée of 100 Natchez crape myrtles descend a gentle slope to a level viewing area then ascend again to the Daylily Garden where an allée of 70 red crape myrtle provides shade—inviting visitors to linger a while and absorb the gorgeous views.
About Gibbs Gardens
Gibbs Gardens is a 336-acre private garden open to the public. Recognized as one of the Thirteen Best Botanical Gardens in America and recently named the top garden in Georgia by the Atlanta Journal, Gibbs Gardens always has something new in bloom. The five feature gardens and 21 seasonal collections gardens offer unique and continuous delights for garden lovers of all interests. To learn more about Gibbs Gardens go to gibbsgardens.com.
SOURCE Gibbs Gardens
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