3-23-2018 Atl Botanical Garden at Gainesville:

We were on a quest today.  The gardens were just a pleasant diversion from my quest.  What was the quest?---find some more JC Penney's active wear pants that are on clearance.  I picked a pair up a couple days ago and really like them and really needed some new ones.  So I went back to our Penney's to get some more, but they didn't have anymore.  The only other Penney's around are one in Gainesville and one in Alpharetta.  So Ken suggested we head up to Gainesville and also hit the Botanical Garden while we were there.  So we did.
The Gainesville Penney's was a waste of time, but the gardens weren't!
Along I-985 on our way up to Gainesville---the various trees beginning to leaf out.

 Heading into the garden

 I was a bit surprised to see how well the tulips were blooming.  I thought it was still a little early, but I guess I was wrong!

 This is definitely a fantastic place to go to when the tulips are in bloom---or anytime for that matter!

 I love how they grouped them in colors.

 So vibrant

 So many different groupings.

 So nice seeing Spring come alive!

 There were even a lot of daffodils still blooming.

 many different kinds of daffodils---or should I really call them Narcissus

or jonquils.

Little flowers on the hillside--- tall ones, short ones, white ones, and yellow ones ... .

even ones in clumps on one stem and in clumps of individual stems

 I just couldn't resist

couldn't resist these guys, either

 the lighting even gave some of them a watercolor look.

 more daffodils

 more tulips

there were still a few that hadn't opened yet

 Even the daffodils seemed to be in peak bloom.

 There were lots of other low growing flowers showing off already, too.

 like these pretty pansies

love the hillside of color

 I always loved daffodils---probably because they are always the first flowers to ward off winter.

 ???

 It was a beautiful day for a walk through the gardens---not really cold, but not warm, either.  Probably one of our warmer days of late at about 60 degrees.

 a beautiful day to be a painter here, too.  Love that she's painting the flower on a black background.

a unique tulip

 the trees are budding pretty well now, too.

 back to admiring the tulips

 and daffodils

 lots of sitting areas throughout the garden, too.  We took advantage of many of them.

 some other colorful plant life

 and another.

Wish they would stay like this all summer!

 Ken enjoying the swing.

 me enjoying the flowers.

 more pansies

 as we were leaving, I noticed these---lilacs!  I haven't seen many of them since we left St. Louis!  Wonder how mine are doing in St. Louis---especially after severely cutting them back last year.   I sure miss cutting some flowers and filling the house with their wonderful fragrance.

 by the entrance/exit to the garden.

 more tulips as we left.

 Ken asked if I wanted to try Alpharetta for the pants.  I said sure!  So we headed cross country to Hwy 400.  Passed this pretty steeple on the way.

 LOVE this really interestingly painted building!

 even crossed Lake Lanier a few times.

Stopped for lunch/dinner along our way, then continued on to Penney's.  Yea!!  Success!!!  I was able to get 4 more pairs.  Why not? --- at a clearance price of about $7@, regularly $38@.  Then came our long trip back to Buford through rush hour traffic!  Took us 1 1/2 hours to go about 30 miles.  But it was worth it.
Another great day---shopping, flowers, and fishies (albeit painted ones)!