The
Smith-Gilbert Gardens in Kennesaw have a bonsai exhibit, a Camellia Garden and a 19th Century historic home.
But my favorite parts of this garden were the woodland trails (one of which leads to a shady nook by a cooling waterfall), the conifer collection and the delightful rose garden.
Here are some of the nicest roses that caught my eye -- or stimulated my olfactory system:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIWdpmvqYD3Xq7n68lK7SIhKQ_w5GqjQ6jc7V4DO6EcYGvfimf0nA4tfIX2FtR4ldfMUHl0Ssfo_SRytEGWpZ1p3cwKchxh46u9nsAk0cL3GyvTWUGKKHQ85XHOcU9OeM4Duhin-TU9A/s1600/GOA+201405+smith+gilbert+rose+heirloom.jpg) |
Hybrid Tea Rose "Heirloom" The color is a bit garish and the flowers may be packed too tightly together, but it sure did smell good. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw4CvdgsSee-iHuGC06AQJObuBJGUEeMEbCsWyLyX9-1AE1kaEKFEWKqubuYZfD3tR0e-xclPwArWYd-Q_zwlltYkuU9bFyYAGDw0fLMCsslt8pVen4hKFIgjIwBJBhtV72iDNUTDKMg/s1600/GOA+201405+smith+gilbert+tiffany+rose.jpg) |
IMHO, the jewelry store can't hold a candle to this "Tiffany" Hybrid Tea Rose. (My wife might disagree.) |
![Bigleaf Magnolia, Magnolia macrophylla Bigleaf Magnolia, Magnolia macrophylla](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrmHzdXo9bbHlhJcapEJcvAHpc5MncwOo5QD4tPqdvAR3HFUjURXOJ35ik8gib_iDZweJLXnjpCXvQ9JW6yc380MkAQvJMm4T6mjW7rVUfIq_zKBQiyF6aA8Xeht3JoIgDpQrmywuMhg/s1600/GOA+201405+smith+gilbert+magnolia+macrophylla+bigleaf.jpg) |
Heading into the woodland garden, we came across this young Bigleaf Magnolia (Magnolia macrophylla) |
![Hand and Bigleaf Magnolia Hand and Bigleaf Magnolia](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigIuQgi6XNjuY_ubJKojI2uy_cO0uAAuncoXCRYZ5XWcRbnX7pE8ocjPG9XAbU-xIEs1KX6_jehq1kkcS4bJkPHbPmBc43_cHmPQ_gMu7vU8G3nInOizG5bIMJRtSrbNiaXeE4WuU9Ag/s1600/GOA+201405+magnolia+macrophylla+bigleaf.jpg) |
According to the Missouri Botanical Garden, Bigleaf Magnolia has the largest simple leaves (up to 30 inches long) of any tree indigenous to North America. |
![Purple rhododendron in bloom Purple rhododendron in bloom](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEircPNql6-CoFlzEvul56WKwg1dM6WUrh48iBRWvlaG5Mrw-iT1WfSfJhEeDA001ztDQxK_XerQRR-tXEA197L5Ysm0HXGFx8dcq3ScbQm3TXPfLRmtOpAY9aIPT0aBW1MqRKgrvUUrjA/s1600/GOA+201405+smith+gilbert+purple+rhododendron.jpg) |
An unknown (but spectacular) purple rhododendron in full bloom on a shady woodland trail |
![Close up on foliage of Cephalotaxus harringtonia McCorkle Close up on foliage of Cephalotaxus harringtonia McCorkle](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp6u0P7vAhcNcnyqSG6ONt6ni9PVfNQVZqpmvYZBb54Cyoefh6IReBm6dSwch-SH67gPkifPn59uTWDxT0H5MCLevaTxii34_ZM1X2Wvzt4nixhmBZmVg67erODz9w5CbRR4ttiLuSSQ/s1600/GOA+201405+smith+gilbert+cephalotaxus+harringtonia+mccorkle+closeup.jpg) |
Close up on the delightful new growth in the foliage of Cephalotaxus harringtonia "McCorkle"
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![Chamaecyparis pisifera, Japanese Falsecypress, Sawara Cypress, Filifera Aurea Chamaecyparis pisifera, Japanese Falsecypress, Sawara Cypress, Filifera Aurea](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7CrNCtF2cqYMVLosKnxSAYxJTd83qi3g5dIk618dt_t9O5GZbIhr35JmSO9idC3pvcg-sXCrQdRN1AXMosc-s6uLbCpUjdyav9iSyt8h-OwJnvJVHidzd1i9EAgfAvAmjvmg9f_H7NA/s1600/GOA+201405+smith+gilbert+chamaecyparis+pisifera+Filifera+Aurea.jpg) |
I was wowed by this bright, dense foliage of Chamaecyparis pisifera (a.k.a. Japanese Falsecypress or Sawara Cypress). The cultivar here was Filifera Aurea that the Missouri Botanical Garden says can grow slowly to 15-20 feet tall over many years |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiONxri2lXaOu3ir-aMvPNJ_txEpBfkUHeqJqAa__3Y_E5y_jHMPm-NjG4PFW4Nh7CZT4nXHBIKgCikc5rF0_leqMjciMw0dLxLto302LjbCHaokfEJq2g27Zqk_Q8j-HkO2rKbD_Q1jQ/s1600/GOA+201405+smith+gilbert+chamaecyparis+pisifera+Filifera+Aurea+aaron.jpg) |
I decided to stand next to the tree to give you a better sense of its size. I'm approximately six-feet tall, so I'm guessing this tree was about 10-feet tall by 8-feet wide? It looks like it would be great for a privacy hedge, although the slow-growing quality means you'd need to buy a substantial tree to start or have a lot of time and patience. |
This is the last of my four Atlanta trip reviews. (You can find links to the other reviews in the archive section of the sidebar.) I hope you enjoyed the journey! As always, I welcome your comments, questions and suggestions.