Address: 920 Scott Boulevard
Pricing: free
Phone: (404) 371-4444
Hours: Last Sunday of the month, 2-4 p.m. and by appointment
How To Get There:
The garden is located near the intersection of Clairemont and Scott Boulevards near downtown Decatur. Parking is limited on site, but extra parking is available two block away at the Decatur School Board administrative offices, a.k.a. the old Westchester School, at 758 Scott Boulevard.
Parking:Limited on-site; park at 758 Scott Blvd.
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Woodlands Garden: an urban oasis near downtown Decatur
Jun 2, 2009
Steps away from the intersection of two busy five-lane highways in Decatur is an urban oasis, built by a young doctor who vowed that something would always be blooming.
In the 7-acre Woodlands Garden, butterflies and honeybees flutter among native wildflowers, camellias, Japanese maples, and a huge big leaf magnolia. Century-old oaks and poplars shut out the noise of the traffic in the garden, where prayer flags flutter in the breeze.
The Woodlands was originally the home of Chester and Gene Morse, who settled there in 1946. Dr. Morse once promised his bride that there would always be something blooming on their property. Decatur developed into an urban mecca as millions more people settled into Atlanta, and the Morse family just kept planting.
In 2002, the Morse family spurned offers from developers and donated their Woodlands to Decatur Preservation Alliance (DPA) to become a permanently protected green space for future generations. The DPA’s plan includes building naturalistic walking paths and removing such invasive "exotic" plants as English ivy and privet. Eventually, Woodlands plans a demonstration garden showcasing native plants found in the upper piedmont ecosystem.
The Woodlands Garden is officially open to the public for self-guided tours only on the fourth Sunday of each month, but school groups, garden clubs and other groups may arrange special tours. Every other Wednesday, a cadre of gardeners gather to rip out invasive plants.
More than 50 varieties of camellias bloom during the winter. Notable trees include a Pagoda dogwood and a winter-flowering apricot. In the shade garden, visitors will enjoy a variety of feathery ferns, hostas, Lenten rose, astilbe and colorful hydrangeas. Basking in the sun garden are butterfly bushes, magenta four o'clocks, yellow jessamine and the fall-blooming Confederate rose hibiscus.
The alliance brags: “Walk through the Historic Family Garden at any season today and it looks like the young Dr. Morse made good on his flowery promise - to the lasting benefit of us all.”
- by Diane Loupe, Atlanta Reporter for HelloMetro
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Diane LoupeA resident of Decatur, Ga., and a native of New Orleans, Diane has a M.A. in Journalism from the University of Missouri. She has worked for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Associated Press, the New Orleans Times-Picayune and Yale Medical School. A freelance writer and editor, her work has appeared in The Sunday Paper, Women's eNews, the Agnes Scott College alumni magazine, eSchool News, and PTO Today.
