Camel caravan at Imaginary Worlds
Imaginary Worlds at the Atlanta Botanical Garden
May 5 – October 28, 2018
If you think topiary means boxwoods clipped into balls and spirals, welcome to the world of mosaiculture — the art of creating gigantic topiary-like sculptures using thousands of living plants. The Atlanta Botanical Garden scored a horticultural bonanza as the first U.S. botanical garden to host the jaw-dropping mosaiculture exhibition fashioned by International Mosaiculture of Montreal in 2013. The exhibit was such a success that Imaginary Worlds is back again, with 23 new characters.
Some of the extraordinary topiary visitors to the Midtown garden will see incudes a train of camels in the Skyline Garden, a giant Phoenix at the Alston Overlook, a mermaid lounging beside the Howell Fountain, a massive dragon (20 feet tall and 25 feet long) and sleeping princess on the Great Lawn, and a peacock inside the Fuqua Orchid Center. At the Gainesville garden, there’s a friendly ogre, panda bears and frolicking frogs. Don’t worry, the Gardens’ favorites from the original exhibition, Earth Goddess, Shaggy Dog and Frogs, are still there.
Camel caravan at Imaginary WorldWhat’s Special
Maintaining Imaginary Worlds
- Alternanthera is the dominant plant on each sculpture. Sedums and grasses create shiny dragon scales and Shaggy Dog’s fur. Pilea, a small quick-growing vining plant, is used to make the “skin” on the sculptures, such as Earth Goddess’ face.
- Monitored for dryness several times a day.
- Sheared at least once a week using sheep shears.
Chihuly Nights: “The magic is in the light.” The Midtown Garden’s extended hours allow visitors to appreciate the dramatic lighting installations in the evening.
About the Atlanta Botanic Garden. The Garden’s 30 acres features the five-acre Woodland Shade Garden (pictured) with Hydrangea, Clethra, Arisaema, Epimedium, Helleborus, Tricyrtis, along with groundcovers, wildflowers and bulbs. The 15-acre Storza Woods is one of the few remaining mature hardwood forests in Atlanta. The two-acre Children’s Garden features a three-story treehouse that teaches visitors about woodland habitats. The Dorothy Chapman Fuqua Conservatory houses rare and endangered plants from tropical rainforests and desert regions. The unique Fuqua Orchid Center houses a High Elevation House, a Tropical Display House and specialized facilities for a new collection of montane orchids that grow at high elevations.
Website: Atlanta Botanical Garden
Visiting
Open November – March from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday and from April – October from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.
Located at 1345 Piedmont Avenue NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30309. Parking deck with paid parking.
Phone: 404.876.5859