gibbs gardens

Whenever we need some peace & quiet we escape to Gibbs Gardens. No matter how busy it is there, it is always serene and beautiful. Stroll among the beautiful flowers throughout the many different gardens or sit by the cafe for a sandwich. On some days you can just sit and enjoy the strolling musicians. The staff are incredibly helpful and Jim can usually be found in the shop to answer any questions you have. This is definitely on you should not miss!

Visited Gibbs Gardens on 3-8-15, and even though it was early in the season we were blown away by the peaceful beauty. It was our first time there and we bought season passes so we can enjoy it year-round. Lucky us, we're less than 30 minutes away. Gibbs Gardens is a beautiful oasis and food for your soul.

We are annual members and love this garden. It is amazing year round. Even on the busiest day it is calm and you never feel crowded. Perfect for young kids to get some energy out too!

Last fall a friend and I visited Gibbs Gardens for the first time and were absolutely amazed. The variety of color in the Japanese maples had us coming back every couple of weeks to see the changes over the season. The photos I have now are saturated with color and variety. We enjoyed arriving first thing in the morning, having a walk around the Japanese garden, an early lunch (incredible chicken salad!) and then after lunch walking up to the house and its gardens. The opportunity to be outside in a safe and beautiful environment was extraordinary. I am so looking forward to going back this spring for the daffodil experience. What a joy to see Mr. Gibbs' dream having come to fruition. What a testimony to the Creator!

My wife and I have been to Gibbs Gardens numerous times since it opened and had season tickets for two years. If you intend to visit more than 3 times a year, a season ticket is the best way to go. From a wonderful restaurant with sandwiches , salads and deserts, beverages of your choice, with outdoor seating, to the walking and handicap friendly pathways and/or tram ride through the park, it is a comfortable way for singles, couples, families and groups to visit the gardens. Every time you go there you find different flowers and views to see ... all the way up the tram road and walking paths to the owner's house at the top of the hill. Statues, Japanese landscape, walking bridges, fields of daffodils, azaleas, roses, crepe myrtle trees, and water lilies are awesome and provide a photographers delight. There is a gift shop with art works, oil paintings, jewelry, souvenirs and plants for sale. Plan to spend 3-4 hours to comfortably visit and view the gardens.

Gibbs Gardens is one of my favorite places to visit. The love, care and planning that goes into this amazing garden is evident as soon as you walk across the covered bridge to the entrance. During the months they are open, there is always something beautiful in bloom. It is very serene and my favorite place to take pictures. I highly recommend the four seasons membership. You will not be disappointed. I also need to mention the summertime events in the evening where you can stroll the garden, listen to live music and have a glass of wine with your pre-purchased dinner from one of the amazing chefs we have in this area. They have several festivals throughout the year. Put this one on you list of places you must visit!

Gibbs Gardens is an incredible display of beauty and wonder! You can go any time of the year and depending on when you visit you will be treated to a different view of flowers, gardens, and nature. The walk throughout the gardens can be as leisurely or brisk as you desire and you can tour small areas or the entire acreage. Hungry? There is a wonderful cafe with delicious sandwiches made by Mary's bakery. Our favorite is the chicken salad on the homemade cranberry/walnut bread. Gibbs has a lovely gift shop to savor your visit their. We loved Gibbs so much that we joined and became members last year and then rejoined for the coming year as well. You won't want to miss Gibbs Gardens!

Ms. Sherouse,We thank you for your kind words. They are greatly appreciated.We are thrilled that you relish your trips to the Gardens and that you bring your friends.Please continue to come often, and we look forward to hopefully seeing you when we kick off our 2015 season on February 28.With kindest regards,Charlie FrankelGeneral Manager

Betwit,It is with disappointment that I read your review. Nonetheless, our management and team members are extremely customer focused and come to the job every day with ideas to improve the "visitor experience."In fact, as Mr.Gibbs designed the Gardens, his focus was to be able to delight visitors by featuring 18 flower festivals from March 1 to December 15. By doing so, a visitor can come once every three weeks and see the change out of flower displays. At the same time, he was careful to intersperse the garden venues throughout our 300 acres to highlight the natural beauty already present. Gibbs Gardens is a balance of natural and man made beauty and our walkways flow seamlessly throughout nature. Specifically, Mr. Gibbs' design intent was to feature nature equally in landscaping instead of having more of an overabundance of plant materials. Betwit, we hope you will return many times to see our festivals and special events. I ask you to seek me out if you choose, so that I can learn about you experience when you visit.Sincerely,Charlie FrankelGeneral Manager

We went the day after Thanksgiving and even though the leaves were mostly gone the gardens were still beautiful. We plant to return in the spring to see it's blooming beauty. A must see for nature lovers.

I have been wanting to write about this place for some time but do not want to fall short in describing this amazing place. The seasons come alive here and you can enjoy their splendor taking a walk on the many paths or use the tram that is provided. Don't miss the concerts Saturday evenings June-September or the many festivals throughout the year. In one given period you see daffodils grazing the gentle slopes or the many roses in full bloom. There are too many to mention. My favorite, the Japanese Gardens, offer a tranquil place to stroll. Add to this a man, Jim Gibbs, who thirty years in the making, is living his dream and often visits with guests to share the background information on how this all started. I strongly suggest this as a must see!

I dreaded the thought of going to a garden! Then to have to pay for it too, was just out of my sphere of thinking. I am not a "garden" type person. However, my wife and mother wanted to go, so with them, I went. It cost money. I cringed. It was too much. BUT IT WASN'T! The folks were friendly, the gardens were beautiful. They had grass growing in the SHADE. Now, at my house, grass doesn't grow in the shade. There were things blooming that should not have been blooming.I expected to be ripped off. I was not. Even if you are a miser like me, who generally doesn't appreciate bushes, flowers and trees; you'll like this.

We visited Gibbs Gardens at the recommendation of many friends who are frequent visitors, and we were not disappointed! About an hour North of the NE Atlanta suburbs, Gibbs Gardens in indescribably beautiful. We chose to arrive early so we could secure parking close to the entrance; our friends mentioned that this parking lot can fill quickly. Tickets are $20 for adults. If you elect to purchase a 4-Season Pass, the $20 entrance fee is credited to the purchase price of the 4-Season Pass, but only for the day you visit. The tram pass is an additional $5.As this was our first visit, we were directed to an "orientation," where a friendly and helpful staff member walked us though tram schedules, showed us how to read the map, and mentioned points of interest (and best foliage) on the day we visited. We were immediately able to ride the open air tram (which runs every 15 minutes in the main garden area), and were dropped off at the entrance to the Japanese Garden. When we entered the garden, my jaw dropped- the thought, effort, and planning that it took to build these gardens is truly awe-inspiring. There was a profusion of colors at every turn, many of which were reflected in the numerous ponds scattered around the gardens for maximum impact. We happened to visit during peak autumn color last weekend- lucky us! :) We chose to stroll the pathways back through all of the garden areas, and found something to delight us each place we looked! About 3/4 of the way through the gardens, we decided to walk up to the Manor House garden. It is about 150 foot elevation change; the path meanders through the property so it is not as obvious that you are hiking up a hill. The tram to this garden is on a 30 minute schedule for those who choose to ride instead of walk. The Manor House and grounds are lovely and the porch gave us a beautiful view of Mt. Oglethorpe, but the plantings in the fall didn't provide the vibrant colors and lushness that I am sure abounds during the Spring and Summer months. We saw plenty of families with strollers who seemed to navigate the well-compacted decomposed granite pathways in the main (lower) garden fairly well. We also witnessed several people with walkers and wheelchairs who seemed to manage okay. I can see how it would be challenging to get up to the Manor House garden without the assistance of the tram. That being said, there are numerous benches scattered throughout the grounds (including the paths) so people can rest and take in the incredible views. My husband, who is a prosthetic-wearing amputee, felt like he had plenty of opportunity to stop and rest, and felt as though the pathways were so well maintained that they did not create problems for him. He did say that the next time we visit, he will take advantage of the tram to the Manor House garden.There is a small café that serves a limited, but delicious, menu; in talking to the staff the food is made by a local Jasper restaurant/bakery, Mary's Breadbasket. There is ample outdoor seating adjacent to the café to enjoy the wonderful sandwiches.The ticketing area offers clean restrooms and also houses a small gift shop with a variety of unique (but somewhat pricey) gifts.We cannot say enough about the wonderful and friendly staff, from the ticketing staff to the orientation guides to the café staff to the tram driver(s). They work incredibly hard to ensure that every visitor has a memorable visit. We are looking forward to returning in the Spring to enjoy the daffodil gardens and Spring Blooms!

Dear Engshun,We appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts and wanted to bring some clarity to your observations. You are correct that our walkways "are not paved.” Gibbs Gardens’ walkways were specifically designed and built based on the following. First, hundreds of natural springs flow beneath the surface of our garden walkways and 22 spring-fed ponds. Any impervious material, such as concrete or asphalt, would crack and break apart if used and, in the end, wash away. Second, engineers for Cherokee County and the State of Georgia recommended that we use pervious materials for our walkways. This type of material allows the passage of water and also passes county and state inspection requirements. Our walkways in the Valley Gardens are constructed of compacted #10 granite sand and because of their pervious nature can usually accommodate wheelchairs the day after a normal rainfall. This type of construction allows over 50 acres of the Valley Gardens to be wheelchair accessible.While we wish it were different, our natural, steeper topography surrounding the Manor House Gardens does not and will never meet the grade specifications to safely allow access for wheelchairs or electric scooters, and we put the safety of our guests above all else at Gibbs Gardens.We hope that you will return and enjoy the Valley Gardens.Kind regards,Charlie FrankelGeneral Manager

Was thrilled to finally make it to the glorious Gibbs Gardens. They have done a spectacular job creating these gardens. Loved the Japanese Gardens. Every acre is stunning and I can't wait to go back for the daffodils in the spring!