In bloom for the first time, the new Secret Garden is bursting with row after row of tulips in brilliant colors. PHOTOS COURTESY OF BILL HOWELL.
Jim Gibbs never stops creating new garden experiences and sweeping views for Gibbs Gardens’ visitors to enjoy. This spring is no exception. His new and intriguing Secret Garden will delight garden visitors and provide home gardeners with intriguing ideas for designing their own gardens.
The Secret Garden is now bursting with long, curving rows of tulips in vivid colors—Modern Vintage, Pink Cubed, and Much Niceness; and with Crown Imperial fritillaria (lily family). There are more than 6,000 tulip plants overflowing with vibrant color. Each bed is designed to draw visitors’ attention to different areas of the garden. After tulip season, the Secret Garden will be replanted with a beautiful array of summer flowers for visitors to enjoy until fall.
In bloom for the first time, the new Secret Garden is bursting with row after row of tulips in brilliant colors. PHOTOS COURTESY OF BILL HOWELL.
Hidden in the woods
The secret garden dates to the early days of Gibbs Gardens’ development. One weekend, Gibbs introduced his visiting grandchildren to a secluded woodland treasure. He led them up a winding path deep inside what would become the Valley Gardens to a thick stand of trees on a knoll above what is now Le Jardin. After their climb to the top, they could look down on the water lily ponds and paths below without being seen by anyone on the ground. For these young explorers, this was an exciting, secret adventure. They discovered where and how to enter the wooded area between the large trees growing in a circle. Once inside, they realized the hidden space their grandfather named the Secret Garden was concealed by the forest. Their woodland treasure soon became the grandchildren’s favorite place to get together, play and explore when they visited their grandparents. “They enjoyed years of fun and adventures in their secret garden,” said Gibbs.
With his grandchildren grown up, Gibbs decided to create a very special Secret Garden for his visitors to enjoy.
In bloom for the first time, the new Secret Garden is bursting with row after row of tulips in brilliant colors. PHOTOS COURTESY OF BILL HOWELL.
Spring in full boom
Daffodils and tulips are spring’s spectacular first act at Gibbs Gardens each year. April and May brings a riot of colorful blooms to the garden. Le Jardin will display a glorious, unforgettable show featuring flower and plant contrasts. Tulips are joined by cherry trees, forsythia, quince, spiraea and dogwood. Gibbs Gardens is a one-of-a-kind experience; its eight feature and 16 seasonal gardens provide vivid color and unique garden designs from March to December.
In bloom for the first time, the new Secret Garden is bursting with row after row of tulips in brilliant colors. PHOTOS COURTESY OF BILL HOWELL.
World-Class destination garden
Honored with “USA Today’s #1 Flower Festival in America” award for 2025 and 2026, the National Garden Club’s “Award of Excellence,” one of the “10 Best Places in the World to see Daffodils” by Flower Magazine, “Georgia Swathes of Splendor,” by the Georgia Daffodil Association, one of the “Thirteen Best Botanical Gardens in America” and one of Georgia’s “Hidden Treasures” by WSBTV.
By Natalie Carmolli, Proven Winners® ColorChoice®
Photographs courtesy of Proven Winners® ColorChoice®
We can add a pop of pink to existing gardens or mix deep pink flowers with mid-to-pale pinks to make a gorgeous monochromatic garden statement. To learn more Click here for an interesting article.
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