Book Description

Graced with one of the longest growing seasons in North America, Georgia has a rich and interesting tradition of gardens and gardening. That tradition is vividly portrayed in Gardens of Georgia, commissioned by the Garden Club of Georgia, Inc., to commemorate its sixtieth anniversary and to celebrate the heritage and beauty of Georgia's gardens.As noted by Georgia founder James Oglethorpe in 1732, Georgia has a happy climate. From the broad-shouldered mountains of the Blue Ridge, through the red clay of the rolling piedmont, across the sprawling piney coastal plain, and on to the subtropical islands on the Atlantic, Georgia is blessed with four regions of gardening opportunities, distinctly defined by differences in elevation, climate, soil, and natural vegetation.Writer William Mitchell and photographer Richard Moore have portrayed the wonders of gardens historic and contemporary, public and private, and urban, suburban, and rural from each of these regions. Whether illustrating overall gardenscapes or capturing intimate vignettes and individual blossoms, Richard Moore's photographs have a depth of color and clarity of detail that immerse the reader into a world of delightful splendor. The text by Willaim Mitchell not only describes the settings as they are today, but also spins a rich background of history in the context of the botanical Eden observed by early explorers.The richest legacy of each generation is to preserve and protect an always vulnerable natural environment and help nature bring forth its green and glowing cycles of rebirth. Gardens of Georgia celebrates that legacy, sharing the ongoing dream of paradise--a new Eden--whether it is in a grand formal garden from an earlier era or a small plot of perennials in a Georgia yard.