botanical garden
A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...
in the
Blue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States, and extends 550 miles southwest from southern Pennsylvania through Maryland, West Virgin ...
of
North Georgia
North Georgia is the northern hilly/mountainous region in the U.S. state of Georgia. At the time of the arrival of settlers from Europe, it was inhabited largely by the Cherokee. The counties of north Georgia were often scenes of important eve ...
specializing in
Rhododendron
''Rhododendron'' (; from Ancient Greek ''rhódon'' "rose" and ''déndron'' "tree") is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are nati ...
s and Native Azaleas. The protected area encompasses on land sloping to
Lake Chatuge
Lake Chatuge is a man-made reservoir in Towns County, Georgia, and Clay County, North Carolina. It lies along the Hiwassee River created by the Chatuge Dam which finished construction in 1942. The lake is relatively shallow with depths of and r ...
. ''Hamilton Gardens at Lake Chatuge, Inc.'' was a
501(c)(3)
A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of the 29 types of 50 ...
non-profit educational organization that successfully restored the garden and operated it for six years. Located near the city of
Hiawassee, Georgia
Hiawassee is the county seat of Towns County, Georgia, United States. The community's population was 880 at the 2010 census. Its name is derived from the Cherokee—or perhaps Creek—word ''Ayuhwasi'', which means meadow, (A variant spelling, ...
, the gardens have the largest collection of native azalea and rhododendron in the Southeast U.S.
History
It is also known as Fred Hamilton Rhododendron Gardens, Hamilton Gardens, Fred Hamilton Gardens and Hamilton Gardens at Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds. Just don't confuse it with the famous
Hamilton Gardens
Hamilton Gardens is a public garden park in the south of Hamilton owned and managed by Hamilton City Council in New Zealand. The 54-hectare park is based on the banks of the Waikato River and includes enclosed gardens, open lawns, a lake, a nur ...
in
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
.
Fred Hamilton
Fred Russell Hamilton was born in
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the List of North Carolina county seats, seat of Wake County, North Carolina, Wake County in the United States. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most ...
during 1913. He graduated from the
University of North Carolina
The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC Sy ...
in 1936 and went to work for
Sears, Roebuck and Company
Sears, Roebuck and Co. ( ), commonly known as Sears, is an American chain of department stores founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosenwald, with what began a ...
as an auditor. Hamilton married the former Hazel Hampton in 1940. They had one son, born in 1944. The couple loved native azaleas and rhododendrons and during Fred's frequent travels, they collected specimens from locations around the globe and propagated many varieties in their greenhouse. Mr. Hamilton was an ''American Rhododendron Society'' member for many years and developed the first domestic yellow azalea, ''Rhododendron flammeum'', which he named after his wife. The family also enjoyed the mountains and acquired a vacation home in Towns County, Georgia.
He remained with Sears for his entire career, becoming a company executive and living in
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
before retiring in 1978. The Hamilton’s knew the day would come when they could no longer manage the huge gardens they had so lovingly created. In an effort to preserve the plants and save them from eventually being destroyed, their goal was to give their entire collection of rhododendrons and native azaleas to the people of Towns County, if a suitable location could be found. Fred Hamilton discovered the perfect spot at the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds campus on a peninsula surrounded by Lake Chatuge. The location had recently opened after the
Tennessee Valley Authority
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is a federally owned electric utility corporation in the United States. TVA's service area covers all of Tennessee, portions of Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky, and small areas of Georgia, North Carolina ...
gifted the land to Towns County for a park. In 1981, the Hamiltons donated over one thousand cultivars (most of the plants from their two properties) for transplanting into Hamilton Gardens, which opened the following year.
Operation
Fred Hamilton's donation was based on an agreement that the board of the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds and the Towns County Lions Club would utilize their volunteers to maintain and improve the gardens. Unfortunately, over the years, fewer people volunteered to work and the plants were not cared for properly. Most monetary donations to the gardens were used by the cash-strapped fairgrounds for their expenses.
Renovation
In the mid-2000s, Paul Hansen was hired as garden curator and Catherine Hansen, his wife, managed the garden shop. Conditions in the garden improved and a grant was secured from the ''American Rhododendron Society'' to renovate the Garden Shop and greenhouses, originally constructed in the 1980s. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held in June 2012 to celebrate the refurbished Hamilton Gardens. The local newspaper stated that profits from plant sales would fund garden projects and restoration. A few years later, a pay dispute between the fair board and Mr. Hansen ended with the departure of the gardener.
New vision
After the Hansens left, a small group of local
master gardeners
Master Gardener programs (also known as Extension Master Gardener Programs) are volunteer programs that train individuals in the science and art of gardening. These individuals pass on the information they learned during their training, as volu ...
conceived a vision for Hamilton Gardens that included forming a 501(c)(3) organization, "Hamilton Gardens at Lake Chatuge, Inc." for that purpose. They approached the fair board and offered to take over management and operations as a non-profit. The fair board agreed.
Noel Turner, a former Hamilton Gardens board member described the condition of the gardens in 2016:
"The lack of structural integrity was such that the (125' Rosebay) bridge could have collapsed at any time. Georgia Mountain Fair, TVA and Towns County were exposed to potential liabilities. The Paris Pavilion restrooms were grossly neglected. Commodes leaking or not working, rotten partition walls, peeling paint, broken windows, etc. – an embarrassment to the citizens of Towns County. Improper electrical wiring (reverse polarity) in the greenhouse. One of the garden volunteers was shocked and fortunately not seriously injured. At the time of transition, there were weeds 2+ feet tall in the pathways, areas overtaken by invasive plants, dead trees and limbs throughout the gardens, leaking irrigation, infested hemlocks, etc. ''Gross negligence'' is not strong enough to describe the condition of the gardens and structures the Hamilton Gardens Board had to deal with in 2016."
Between 2016 and 2021, the new administrators increased revenues which funded major improvements including pavilion bathrooms, building a new bridge and smaller bridge repairs, a lookout deck at Fishing Rock and constructing a large shed for equipment. The garden's plants received proper care while community awareness, donations and volunteer hours increased. Because the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds provided no financial support, the garden board looked for other sources of income. They found there were government grants available, but they required the non-profit to have control of the land upon which they operate through ownership or a lease. The garden board also questioned whether their liability insurance would be honored on property not under their control. When asked for a lease, the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds board refused, stating that they viewed the land as their asset and they would not relinquish control.
The Hamilton Gardens at Lake Chatuge board declined to continue their hard work without proper funding, so they dissolved the nonprofit in 2021. The fair board again became responsible for garden operations in late 2021.
The fair board hired a part-time gardener to work, but he replaced dozens of volunteers.
Current
As of 2023, Catherine Luckenbach was the garden curator. The official website showed 2023 as "our year of restoration" with goals that included restoring and painting the wooden bridges, decks, and arbor; placing signs for botanical identification; concerts and art in the garden. A membership campaign was implemented to increase revenue and volunteers in addition to raising admission to $6.
Gardens
The gardens are situated on a slope down to Lake Chatuge. All the trails lead downhill and are considered a moderate hike except the shoreline trail and the extension trail from the Bonnie Day Arbor which are steeper. There are benches provided at intervals along all trails for rest and reflection. The trails themselves utilize pine bark mulch. None are paved.
Peak viewing season, characterized as “A Blooming Affair at Hamilton Gardens”, typically begins in mid-April and lasts through mid-May. The gardens showcase several specimen plants that grow only in this location. There are approximately 3,000 plants and perhaps as many as 400 varieties of native azaleas and rhododendrons.
In addition to rhododendrons and native azaleas, there are dogwoods, ferns, trillium, tulip magnolias, redbuds, hydrangeas, Solomon's seal, wild ginger and trout lily.
A selection of azaleas, rhododendrons, and other plants are typically available for purchase.
Festival
The 2023 Rhododendron Festival was scheduled for April 14 to May 14. Each Thursday evening during those dates will feature ''Acoustic Sunsets'', free concerts at the Paris Pavilion with food trucks and art vendors. During the Rhododendron Festival, the fairground courtyard will also be open each Friday, Saturday and Sunday with food trucks, arts & crafts and live music on Saturday afternoons.
Mission
To restore, preserve, and enhance this public botanical legacy garden for the education and enjoyment of all who visit.
Attractions
* Salzer's Trellis is located beside the main entrance.
* At the south end of the Courey Shoreline Trail is Fishing Hole Rock and the Lakeview Observation Deck.
* Along the right fork of the Main Trail is the Brooks Overlook Deck & water wheel.
* There are Eight metal sculptures created by local artists throughout the garden.
* Off the left fork of the Main Trail is the Bonnie Day Arbor and Bridges. The trail extension past the Arbor is more difficult.
* The 125' Rosebay Bridge is in the middle of the Main Trail below the water wheel.
* The Paris Pavillion is a 2,500 ft² event venue with 360° mountain views.
* Memorial Garden is located just inside the garden off the left fork of the Main Trail.
* Pollinator and Demonstration Gardens are presently closed.
* Celebration Plaza and Fountain was a program begun by Hamilton Gardens at Lake Chatuge to permit donors to honor special people through a gift to the garden. It is temporarily suspended.
Recognition
The gardens were designated a state botanical garden by the Georgia legislature in 2003, a distinction earned by the diversity of its flora and unique ecosystem.
The American Rhododendron Society bestowed a grant upon the gardens in 2012 to renovate their buildings.
A dedication ceremony in 2018 added 600 bulbs to the garden as part of The Daffodil Project, an international campaign to plant 1.5 million daffodils in a sunny, worldwide tribute to the victims of the
September_11_attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercia ...