Groundbreaking Wed. for Smithgall Woodland Garden

ATLANTA - Groundbreaking ceremonies will be held Wednesday at 3:00 for the initial phase of the new Smithgall Woodland Garden in Gainesville.

The 168-acre public garden is being developed by the Atlanta Botanical Garden on land off Cleveland Highway that was donated in 2002 by Gainesville resident Lessie Smithgall and her late husband Charles Smithgall. When fully developed, Smithgall Woodland Garden will allow the Atlanta Botanical Garden to broaden its conservation efforts while providing visitors access to green space and cultural amenities.

"Smithgall Woodland Garden will enable us to evolve to the next level, reaching people across the state and expanding our vital plant conservation programs," said Mary Pat Matheson, president and CEO of the Atlanta Botanical Garden.

The $21 million first phase of development will include construction of a serpentine, wooded entry road, a visitor center, a 2,000-seat amphitheater, and about five acres of display gardens. Plans also call for an interactive children's garden, a native plant conservation nursery and a student training and education center.

A horticultural operation already has been established on site, including a state-of-the-art greenhouse and a three-acre conservation nursery, the largest in the Southeast.