Visiting The Botanical Gardens
Atlanta is a very popular place to travel during the summer. The warm weather coupled with thousands of things to do and see provides an ideal vacation location.
One thing that should definitely make the to-do list is making a visit to Atlanta’s Botanical Gardens. When you first enter the gardens, you will begin in the lobby.
The lobby always looks different depending on the time of year you go and according the taste of the gardeners currently in charge of that area. The display that you are greeted with is always bright and cheerful however.
In addition, the display is usually consists mainly of tropical plants. This is fitting as there are also several glass boxes that are filled with poison arrow frogs and things from their natural habitat.
These frogs are part of the garden’s objective and goal to help this species rebuild itself. The conservation program is the center of helping these poison arrow frogs.
These frogs are unlike another other you have probably seen in nature before. Poison arrow frogs are always very bright in color in order to warn other animals that they are dangerous and should not be eaten.
After you leave the lobby, you will enter the Tropical Rotunda. This room contains a variety of different plants as the tropical areas of the world cover ten percent of the Earth’s surface and is made of over half of the plants and animals found in the entire world.
As this ten percent is becoming less and less due to deforestation, changes in climate, and development of various regions, the garden realizes how important it is for these tropical plants to be preserved. This small area contains hundreds of species of plants alone.
Their collection is also used for education and research as well as conservation. These plants could be used for a variety of things if enough research was conducted on them.
In order to help viewers see which plants are similar, the garden plants these plants in family groups and in arrangements that echo the nature habitat from with they originated.
After you leave one of the wettest habitats, you will enter one of the driest. The Desert House is the home of many plants from the deserts of Madagascar and Southern Africa.
The species found on Madagascar are currently threatened by invasive species and forest fires. The plants selected to be shown in the Desert House come specifically from the Spiny Forest region.
After enjoying the Desert House, you will enter the special exhibits. The special exhibit section includes plants like the Asian pitcher plants and other carnivorous plants.
Young boys may particularly find this section interesting. These carnivorous plants range in a variety of colors and sizes.
Next you will visit the Orangerie. The Orangerie is the home of tropical and sub-tropical plants that have medicinal or economic value for specific areas.
A lot of research is performed on the plants in this section. By visiting this room, you can see the actual plants that are used in many of the products and medicines you use every day.
The Botanical Gardens are not only home to plants and poison arrow frogs. Dart frogs, geckos, yellow saffron finches, turtles, tortoises and many other species are also found in these rooms.
The presence of animals helps the layout of plants feel like a complete ecosystem rather than simply a showcase. Many of the animals are also tropical in origin.
The next area you will enter is the Fuqua Orchid Center. The High Elevation House in the Fuqua Orchid Center contains many of the plants that naturally grow in the Cloud Forest of the Andes Mountains.
These plants feature the brightly colored Andean orchid. Neotropical blueberries can also be found in this house.
There are two main areas of this house. They are called the Formal and the Naturalistic.
The formal area is carefully landscaped while the naturalistic is planted seemingly randomly like a natural forest. Outside, you will be able to enjoy the wide Hydrangea collection.
The Hydrangea collection contains over 160 types of hydrangeas. When you have enjoyed these bright flowers, you will enter the Dwarf and Rare Conifer garden.
This garden stay green throughout the entire year and they are very beautiful. Then, you will continue through the tree section to see the Hardy Palm collection.
This garden contains many other exhibits and beautiful plants as well. It is a very enjoyable walk and something you must stop to see while in Atlanta.
