Mother Nature reveals her annual miracle as spring comes into full bloom throughout Gibbs Gardens.
“I never get tired of seeing the transformation,” said Jim Gibbs, the owner/designer/developer of Gibbs Gardens. “I’ve been building, planting and taking care of these gardens since 1983, but I am still awed each year when the dark shadows of winter slide away and the gardens are reborn—filled with dazzling color.”
Gibbs Gardens’ Rose Gardens—one of spring’s treasures—are incomparable when it comes to variety, planting design and pure beauty. Climbing roses, ‘Knock Out’ roses, ‘Drift’ series dwarf roses and more than 500 heirloom rose bushes create dramatic swaths of vibrant color from May until the first frost arrives.
Artistic groupings of ‘Drift’ and ‘Knock Out’ roses grace the Inspiration Gardens. Beautiful plantings of ‘Knock Out’ roses flow through the Valley Gardens. In the rose garden above Le Jardin, Gibbs planted many types of roses, including more than 100 varieties of heirloom roses. Ranging in color from shades of red and pink to yellow and white, rosebushes curve across acres of bright-green lawns to create dramatic color contrasts.
More roses are planted on four levels near the Manor House where dry-stacked Tennessee fieldstone walls buttress the rose terraces. Fragrant, climbing ‘New Dawn’ blush-pink roses, adorn a 135-foot-long serpentine wooden arbor. Go to gibbsgardens.com/garden-photos/roses/heirloom-rose-list for Gibbs Gardens’ heirloom roses listed by rose type and color.
In 1988, Gibbs began planting many varieties of rhododendrons. These evergreen shrubs bloom in May and flower into June. Colors vary with many shades of pink, red, white, purple and lavender. The rhododendrons are planted on a forested north-facing slope of mature deciduous trees with gentle sloping walkways gracing the hillside.
Four-season Japanese Gardens
The Japanese Gardens—beautiful all year long—offer special surprises in May as clumps of bright-blue to purple water iris appear along the edge of the ponds. Attracted by their vibrant color, curious butterflies and birds hover to explore the flowers.
Japanese maples reveal bright red leaves while ‘Satsuki’ azaleas add bursts of color in contrast to the dramatic deep-green of mature bushes pruned bonsai style. The sounds of waterfalls, leaves rustling in the breeze and birds singing blend together in May’s song.
Blossoms are everywhere—from the intricate flower baskets along the entrance Flower Bridge to the natural Fern Dell, from hillsides graced by colorful azaleas and majestic rhododendrons to the Monet Waterlily Gardens where hardy waterlilies are in full bloom.
Twilight in the Gardens
Gibbs Gardens’ Twilight in the Gardens concerts are back, with performances from 6-9 p.m., the second and third Saturdays in May and June. The Stephen Lee Band will perform May 10 with 120 East set for May 17. Meals may be pre-ordered from the Arbor Café the Monday before each concert. For more information, go to gibbsgardens.com7/twilight-live-concerts/.
World-class destination garden
Gibbs Gardens Daffodil Festival was voted No. 1 in America in March 2025 for Best Flower Festival, a contest sponsored by USA Today. Honored with the National Garden Clubs’ Award of Excellence, Gibbs Gardens has been named one of “The Best Places in the World to See Daffodils” by Flower Magazine; one of “Thirteen Best Botanical Gardens in America” and a top garden in Georgia by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. To learn more about Gibbs Gardens go to gibbsgardens.com.
