As I pass Piedmont Park and pull into the entrance of the Atlanta Botanical Garden, I feel as if I have been transported into the middle of the woods. As I wait in line to receive my parking ticket, I notice that I am surrounded by various massive trees and plants. After getting my ticket, I drive through several levels of parking decks until I finally find a space to park in. I then proceed to wait in line to buy a ticket into the garden. I have only been in the garden for five minutes and already it seems very busy, especially for a weekday. Walking through the garden that has been here since 1985, I see tons of beautifully kept plants and flowers (Mission and History). Most of the flowers and plants exhibited have nameplates to specify what species they are. Many of the exhibits and sculptures are also named after people, probably because of donations made by those people to the garden. The garden has a special exhibit set up for the month of February that showcases an abundance of orchids. The orchids are bright purple and give off a strong unfamiliar scent.  Walking through the garden using the map they provided, I see an herb and vegetable garden which showcase an array of dark greens and both give off smells which remind me of my mother’s kitchen in the summer. The tropical conservatory I entered next makes me feel as if I am in the jungle. The noise level is very high with waterfalls, birds, and frogs all making noise at the same time. One of my favorite things I found in the garden is the Mother Earth sculpture. It is a beautiful sculpture of a woman’s head made out of plants. Out of her hand runs water into a beautiful pond. Another one of my favorite places in the garden was the children exhibit. The exhibit had a bee hive showcasing bees buzzing while creating their habitat, a butterfly garden where butterflies fluttered around until landing on certain flowers, and multiple cute sculptures, like brightly colored gnomes, that catered to the younger visitors. While I was visiting the garden, I saw multiple advertisements for classes held there, such as gardening and drawing classes. Overall, the Atlanta Botanical Garden was very pretty and well organized, although it was quite expensive, busy, and I got tired from all the walking that was involved. Because it was winter, everything was a bit dreary, but in the spring and summer I bet the garden is just breathtaking with vibrant colors from everything blooming. I probably wouldn’t visit again as just a visitor, but would love to go to one of the private events occasionally held there.

“Mission and History.” Atlanta Botanical Garden. Web. 10 Feb. 2016.