I read about Dunaway Gardens from an Atlanta blog called 365AtlantaTraveler several years ago. When I looked up Dunaway Gardens’ hours, they were only open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in the springtime and then closed for the summer months. I always intended to visit, but would get busy and forget about it.

Fortunately last week I happened to look at the website again. They were only open on Saturdays during the month of May before closing for June, July and August. If I was going to visit, it would have to be now.

I took one of my daughters, Thing 2, with me since she also likes gardens. Our map directions took us on 20 miles of country back roads once we exited the interstate near Palmetto. Both of us wondered where this place would be as we didn’t go through any towns. However, we found it tucked behind a modest stone gate with a small sign just like our map showed.

Because we were the first visitors there, we overshot the parking lot. It really is more like a grass field and when we circled back around, I confirmed with the person at the info booth where to park. We paid our $10 entrance fee and the information person gave us a detailed brochure with a map. She said we were lucky because we had the place mostly to ourselves. Usually by that time of morning, there are many other visitors.

We passed by large white tents where they were setting up for a wedding reception and then arrived at the Arrowhead pools. We read in the brochure that Vaudeville actress Hetty Jane Dunaway started the gardens. She and her husband, Wayne P. Sewell married in Atlanta and then relocated to his family home in Roscoe. There, she spent years developing the property into gardens that became a theatrical training ground during the 1930’s and 1940’s.

Tranquility permeated the gardens and just on the other side of the pools, we saw terraced seating for a wedding. Just beyond it sat the amphitheatre. I realize now that wedding guests wouldn’t want to sit directly on the ground and without a seat back for a wedding.In its heyday, the 1,000 seat amphitheatre hosted numerous productions by the Wayne P. Sewell Production Company.

Walking past the waterfall at the Hanging Garden, we continued to explore the site with its many nooks and crannies. Picturesque views greeted us around every bend. We learned that after Ms. Dunaway’s death, the gardens became overgrown and neglected. Fortunately, new owners in 2000 set about to restore the area and re-opened the gardens in 2003.

In addition to a wetlands overlook and the waterfall at the Hanging Gardens, we walked around the Octagon Pool with aquatic plants and then went to the Japanese Gardens. At the base of these gardens sat the Twin Pools.

By this time a few other visitors arrived. We headed towards the Great Pool via the Hillside Rock Garden. The Great Pool was undergoing a bit of construction, but was still beautiful. I loved that the gardens offered natural paths that meandered all around the 25 acres.

We passed a chimney structure that had once been part of a tea room and then sat by the waterfall at the Sunken Garden before heading home. If I had it my way, I would have brought a book and nestled in a chair on any of the garden paths and just enjoyed the quiet and calm the gardens offered for at least a few hours.

For more information, click on Dunaway Gardens’ website here.