Garden is Open: Construction is Complete

Our Latest Project

Although Woodlands Garden has long been considered a hidden gem of Decatur greenspace, the Garden continues to raise its profile within the broader community. An ambitious and successful capital campaign to “Keep it Green Indie-Catur” has laid the groundwork for a renovation that will include many enhancements to the visitor experience at the Garden. The planning and design effort for the project is being led by our Construction Committee, comprised of Board and staff members, in collaboration with TSW, an award-winning architecture and planning firm.

In late 2015, Woodlands Garden acquired the adjacent 915 Clairemont Avenue property. This expanded footprint at the south corner of the site will allow easier visitor access from both Scott Boulevard and Clairemont Avenue. The expansion plans include enhanced signage, an expanded parking area, better access for school buses, and new walkways for pedestrians to reach the Garden’s trails. The design team is carefully orchestrating its plans for the corner property to minimize the number of trees impacted, while still meeting the need for centralized, safe and convenient visitor parking.

The design process is complete, and construction on the premises was fully completed in 2020. The Garden officially reopened in Spring 2021. For updates on the design and construction process, please follow this page.

Rendering-of-Walkway-from-Visitor-Center

FAQ

Construction Photo Gallery

Thank You

A special 'thank you' to the following foundations
for supporting the Capital Campaign

AEC Trust

Bright Wings Foundation

The Imlay Foundation

James M. Cox Foundation

The Kendeda Fund

Patrick Family Foundation, Inc.

The Rockdale Foundation

Robert W. Woodruff Foundation

Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust

SunTrust Trusteed Foundation: Thomas Guy Woolford Charitable Trust

The Sweetgrass Foundation

The Vasser Woolley Foundation

Waterfall Foundation

Become a Donor

Keep our forest thriving by donating to Woodlands Garden! 

Your financial contributions allow us to keep this beautiful community greenspace open and free to the public year round.

Ways to Give

Make a Donation
Support our forest, programs, and volunteers with a one-time gift.

Plant a Tribute Tree
A Tribute Tree is a unique and lasting way to honor family, friends, and events while also expanding the Garden's healthy tree canopy.

Give Monthly
Help Woodlands year-round by automatically giving each month.

Leave a Legacy Gift
The Forest Succession Society, Woodlands’ legacy giving program, honors individuals who make a gift to Woodlands in their will.

Need Help With Your Gift?

Please reach out to our Executive Director at director@woodlandsgarden.org with any questions or suggestions. We are always open to ideas of how to generate support for this community resource!

$25k Imlay grant for streambed restoration project

In October 2017, Woodlands Garden was awarded a $25,000 grant from The Imlay Foundation towards its streambed restoration project. The Imlay Foundation is a private charitable foundation established in 1990 by John P. Imlay Jr., the late Atlanta-based entrepreneur and philanthropist, to support charitable and cultural organizations within Atlanta and Scotland.

Morse Creek running through Woodlands Garden

Woodlands sought funds to stabilize the banks of Morse Creek, a tributary of the Chattahoochee River that runs through the Garden. In March this year, the Garden hired Ecological Solutions Inc., a natural resources consulting firm, to assess the site and create a plan to repair the damage to the creek and surrounding area. Their report showed that erosion and poor storm water management upstream have compromised the creek’s water and banks over time.

The Imlay Foundation’s grant will be used to purchase stream restoration materials, including root wads, boulders, and plants, among other materials. Mary Ellen Imlay, Board Chairman of The Imlay Foundation, said, “The Imlay Foundation is pleased to continue its support for Woodlands Garden with a grant for the Morse Creek streambed restoration project. As a native of Decatur and a friend of the Morse family, I am delighted that Woodlands Garden is working hard to preserve this beautiful natural oasis in the middle of a rapidly developing area of Metro Atlanta.”

Woodlands will be engaging the community to help complete the restoration work so sign up today to join the volunteer effort. The Morse Creek restoration project continues Woodlands’ ongoing work to preserve its Piedmont forest and engage the broader Atlanta community in the natural world.

Follow in the footsteps of the Imlay Foundation by donating to Woodlands to support garden projects and programs in this community greenspace by visiting http://www.woodlandsgarden.org/support-woodlands/.

Decatur Focus published a version of this article in their December 2017 issue (pg 16). You can read it here: http://www.decaturga.com/home/showdocument?id=11007 

Fall Plant Sale – Thank you!

Special thanks to these local nurseries, organizations, and businesses for your support to make the Fall Plant Sale a great success!

  • Ace Hardware Tucker
  • Arborguard
  • Ashe-Simpson Garden Center
  • Atlanta History Center Goizueta Gardens
  • Baker Environmental Nursery
  • Brushwood Nursery
  • Buck Jones Nursery
  • Chattahoochee Nature Center
  • Dorough Nursery
  • Family Tree
  • Frank Smith’s Nursery
  • Georgia Wholesale Nursery
  • Garden*Hood
  • Georgia Perimeter College Garden
  • Goodness Grows
  • Halls Flower Shop
  • Intown Ace Hardware – Decatur
  • John Dunn
  • Ladyslipper Rare Plant Nursery
  • Native Forest Nursery
  • Night Song Native Plant Nursery
  • Piccadilly Farm Nursery and Gardens
  • Pike’s Nursery Regional Office
  • Randy’s Nursery
  • ReVisioned Furniture
  • Southern Native Plantings
  • The Kinsey Family Farm
  • Transplant Nursery
  • Wilkerson Mill Gardens
  • Woody’s Wholesale Nursery

The Woodlands Garden Plant Sale is made possible by a group of dedicated volunteers.  Let us know if you’d like to help organize future Plant Sales or participate with any Garden efforts.  Complete this online Volunteer Application to provide your interests and get more involved at Woodlands. The Garden is a special place due to the many hands that make it grow; come join the fun!

Fall Plant Sale 2017

Fall is a great time to add to your garden and who doesn’t love to shop…Stop by the Woodlands Garden Fall Plant Sale to learn from the experts what plants are perfect for your home landscape.  Plants available range in price from $3 to $25+ and have been grown by volunteers, cultivated at Woodlands Garden, and donated by local nurseries (list coming soon below). All proceeds from the Fall Plant Sale help fund the maintenance of this public garden.

The dedicated Plant Sale Committee will provide a fun shopping experience on these Sundays from 12:30pm to 4:30pm: September 17, 24 and October 1, 8, 15

Images of plants available found on Facebook Album here.

Quick list of what is available this year:

  • Many varieties of FERNS and IRISES
  • Native Azaleas
  • Sourwood
  • Hellebores
  • Salvia
  • Lamb’s Ear
  • Crinum lilies
  • Edgeworthia
  • Oaks
  • Hydrangea-oakleaf, variegated, mophead
  • Canna

Here are some popular plants available:

  • Buckeye
  • Bloodroot
  • Black-eyed Susan
  • Confederate Rose Hibiscus
  • Robb’s Euphorbia
  • Peacock Moss
  • Lenten Rose
  • Hostas
  • Mayapple
  • Native azaleas
  • Numerous varieties of ferns including Japanese painted, Christmas, and bramble
  • Camellias
  • Sweetshrub
  • Blue-eyed grass
  • Loropetalum
  • Celadine poppy
  • Orange and white ginger lilies
  • Beautyberry