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 ...
s located on the campus of
Middle Georgia State University
Middle Georgia State University is a public university with its main campus in Macon, Georgia. It is part of the University System of Georgia and offers programs to students on five campuses in Middle Georgia and online. Middle Georgia State Uni ...
,
Macon, Georgia
Macon ( ), officially Macon–Bibb County, is a consolidated city-county in the U.S. state of Georgia. Situated near the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is located southeast of Atlanta and lies near the geographic center of the state of Geo ...
, spanning . They are open daily without charge.
The gardens were established in 1967 to designs of landscape architect Clay Adamson when the construction of Macon Junior College began. Initial planting consisted of more than 1,600 trees, 2,500 shrubs, and 12,000 ground cover plants. Thirty years later, Dr. Waddell Barnes, chair of trustees, led the effort to create botanical gardens across campus to a master plan by Robert and Company. In 2003 the gardens were named in Dr. Barnes' honor.
Today the campus is divided into 16 gardens: Asian, European, Fall Colors, Fragrant, Fruit Trees, Industry, Medicinal, Natives, Showy Flowers, Showy Fruit, Shrubs and Vines, Southern Traditional, Touch & Feel, Urban Environment, Wet Environment, and Xeriscape.