A new addition to the Atlanta Botanical Garden this spring not only will offer the best views of the city but also showcase the Garden to the millions frequenting Midtown’s popular green spaces, including neighboring Piedmont Park and the Atlanta Beltline.

Hugging the southeastern corner of the Garden overlooking the park, the new Skyline Garden, opening in May, will present the Garden’s horticultural expertise on a whole new level.

“This is going to be one of the most spectacular venues in the city, whether you’re into exploring a unique palette of plants that can flourish in the Southeast or want to hold a romantic wedding with a skyline view or simply need a quiet escape – all in the center of the city,” said Mary Pat Matheson, the Garden’s President & CEO.

The Skyline Garden lends a modern contrast to many of the Midtown attraction’s other display gardens and features plants from opposite ends of the spectrum for an unparalleled experience.  The 1.5-acre garden extends from the southeastern side of the Great Lawn south to the rear of the Fuqua Orchid Center on a hillside overlooking the park, where new signage will identify the Garden.

As visitors enter the Skyline Garden, lively red, orange, coral and gold summer annuals draw them toward the new Robinson Gazebo.  More than 4,000 square feet of seasonal color mark a grand entrance to this contemporary garden space.  A fun mix of spring- and summer-flowering shrubs provides the “bones” for this primarily rotational garden.  Nowhere else in the botanical garden will be as saturated in color as this space, known as the Anne Cox Chambers Flower Walk, immersed in the seasonal blossoms of camellias, hibiscus, dwarf crape myrtles and re-blooming azaleas.  

Take a seat in the new gazebo, relax and be captivated by an iconic view of Midtown and downtown office and condo towers. This impressive backdrop of the city rises over the Conservation Garden, and Cactus and Succulent Terraces, showcasing more than 14 species of agave, yucca and prickly pear. Native bogs blanket the foreground, while water-wise terraces dominate the slope below. In cool weather, relax and warm up to the outdoor fireplace.  In warm weather, linger under the shady shelter of the Garden’s new “back porch”.  

Wander from the gazebo through the newly renovated Conservation Garden, showcasing native plants and the complex work done by the Conservation team.  Representative ecosystems are woven together with a tapestry of native plants.  

The Aquatic Plant Pond once again is the hub of the space.  An inviting lawn extends on the northern side, and the start of the Cactus and Succulent Terraces are to the southeast.  Raised planters of various heights and widths are home to an extensive collection of cacti and succulents, interplanted with flowers that love the heat.

The project, designed in partnership with the Garden by Spurlock-Land and 3 fromme DESIGN, is made possible by the Garden’s Nourish & Flourish Capital Campaign.