Native Ferns of GA: a Botanical Garden Walk in SE Atlanta - Fri, Sep 13 2013

REGISTRATION REQUIRED: Once you've reviewed the event details, and decided you'd like to join us, you MUST sign up at the bottom of this page.



Native Ferns of GA: a Botanical Garden Walk in SE Atlanta


The Basics:
Event Type:Hike
Event Location: GA Perimeter College near I-285 Flat Shoals Rd exit   Hike: Native Ferns of GA:  a Botanical Garden Walk in SE Atlanta  National Weather Service Forecast
Date(s) & Time:Fri, Sep 13 2013  10:00 am >> Fri, Sep 13 2013 1:00 pm
Registration Opens: Tue, Sep 10 2013 10:00 pm
Registration Cut Off: Fri, Sep 13 2013 8:00 am
Event Duration:3 Hours
Difficulty Rating:D1: Easy
Distance:2 Miles
Pace:Leisurely
Trip Leader(s):
Charlie Cottingham
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Member Cost:None

Participant Info:
Who's Invited: Members Only, 21 And Older Only
Maximum Group Size:12
Minimum Group Size:2
Number Registered So Far: 4 / 0 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area)
Are Dogs Permitted: No

Itinerary:

We want to thank our friends in the GA Botanical Society for suggesting that we participate in this nice FREE event in the beautiful botanical garden at GA Perimeter College's "Decatur Campus" in SE Atlanta.  GPC's "Ferns of the World Garden" is said to contain more different species than any other fern garden in the United States, with specimens of virtually all of Georgia's lovely native ferns.

Our Atlanta Outdoor Club "subgroup" will gather at 10:00 AM at the garden entrance - see detailed directions & GPS info below.  After introducing one another we'll walk in together and first explore the greenhouse area.  A variety of potted native plants will be offered for sale to garden guests at very reasonable prices.

At 10:30 AM we'll join fern expert Mary Lou Cannamela for a leisurely guided "Walk through the Ferns." 

Bring a picnic lunch if you like, and we can relax in the shade at about 11:30 to enjoy lunch together.

Stick around with us if you like at 12:00 Noon for a fascinating talk entitled "Native Alternatives to Common Garden Plants," with practical tips about planting hardy drought-resistant Georgia "natives" in our own gardens.  The speaker Eddi Minche is an expert hiker, trail guide, beekeeper, and member of both the GA Native Plant Society and GA Botanical Society - a.k.a. the "Botsockers!"

We'll definitely go ahead with our AOC visit to the garden "rain or shine," even though the "fern walk" could possibly be postponed in the unlikely event that the garden paths are considered too wet.

Click on the following handy link for a schedule of all of GPC's nice "Friday open house" walks & talks in the botanical garden this fall.  Then click "Home" (at the base of that page) to access their other beautiful garden webpages and photos.
http://gpcnativegarden.org/sales13fall.html


Required Items to Bring:


- Wear comfortable Clothing & Walking Shoes.

Recommended Items to Bring:
Use our Event Checklists to make sure you have everything you need.


- A light Daypack or Fanny Pack for carrying your personal items.
- A Picnic Lunch & Beverage. We can take the time to have lunch together just after the guided fern walk.
- Your Camera.
- Some Cash and/or your Checkbook, in case you'd like to purchase some of the nice potted native plants.
- A compact Umbrella in case we get a shower.


How to Get There:
Event Directions:

1. From the I-285/ I-85 "Spaghetti Jcn" interchange (NE of Atlanta) take I-285 southward about 15 miles and get off at the Flat Shoals Rd exit (I-285 exit #48, 2 mi south of the big I-20 interchange).
2. Turn Right onto Flat Shoals Road and go just 0.2 mile (northwestward) to the traffic light at Panthersville Rd.
3. Turn Left onto Panthersville Rd and continue straight ahead for about 1 mile (southward). After passing through the traffic light at Clifton Springs Rd get in the rightmost lane of traffic.
4. Just before this rightmost lane ends, turn Right (westward) into the large parking lot. (There may be a small "Botanical Garden" sign here.)
5. Park in the far side of the lot near the garden entrance. Our AOC "subgroup" will gather here at 10:00.


For a zoomable map or satellite view of the garden entrance click on the rectangular blue & green "Event Location" icon near the top of this article.

You GPS Users may wish to augment the above directions by entering the following Lat/Lon coordinates of the garden entrance as your destination: 33.68706,-84.27415

The street address & phone number of GPC's "Native Plant Botanical Garden" are:
3251 Panthersville Rd, Decatur, GA
   678-891-2668


Notes:
* We encourage all members to follow our Etiquette Guidelines while participating in AOC events.

Cost Includes:

FREE Event with free Parking and no Garden Entrance Fee!


Cancellation/Partial Attendance:   Please review the AOC cancellation policy.