A Secret Garden in Cobb County, Georgia – Part 1

About one month ago when I had my routine dental cleaning, my hygienist told me she was volunteering at a local garden and gave me its name. I have visited many gardens - have driven hours to visit some in Georgia and visited several in other states, like the Rose Gardens in Portland, Oregon and Columbus, Ohio, gardens in California, New York, Florida and other countries like the Butchart Gardens in Canada, the Orchid Gardens in Singapore, the Royal Botanic Garden in Kew, England, Le Jardin des Plantes in Paris, France, etc. When I used Google Map to find the name of the garden my hygienist had given me I was quite amazed, as it was only 4.5 miles from my home (7.25 kms) – and I had never heard of it! This certainly had been a secret from me.




Last Monday my husband and I drove to this garden, the Smith-Gilbert Gardens. We drove to the house to pay for our admission – we were the first visitors there that day. In 1995 the house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places – it is a Georgian Cottage with Greek revival and Italianate detailing. Originally this was Cherokee Indian land. When the Cherokee were driven away from Georgia and into Oklahoma in 1832, the area was parceled out through a Land Lottery. These 3,000 acres of land were at first a cotton plantation. Then in 1880 Hiram Butler, a prominent railroad man, bought 160 acres and started building a home there. It was built of solid brick with 12” thick walls. Below is a picture of Hiram Anderson Butler and the house. (Click on any picture or collage to enlarge and click again on individual pictures to enlarge again.)




The Butler family sold the property in 1913 and after being sold several more times the house and 16 acres of land were purchased in 1970 by Richard Smith and Robert Gilbert. Mr. Smith, an accountant, and Dr. Gilbert, a periodontist, worked in Atlanta and spent the first five years restoring the house. During their 35 years of ownership Richard Smith and Dr. Gilbert developed the land into extensive gardens with a vast collection of exotic plants. Being avid art collectors Smith and Gilbert also acquired contemporary sculptures during their travels. The sculptures are carefully placed throughout the landscape. Below is a painting of Richard Smith and Robert Gilbert in the back of the house.




Richard Smith and Dr. Bob (as Dr. Gilbert is called) realized early on that their garden was on a bird annual migratory path. They began planting fruiting trees and shrubs in the hope of attracting more birds. Over 120 bird species have now been identified on the property where they enjoy the woodland setting. Because of this unique bird and wildlife habitat the garden is a designated Wildlife Sanctuary. This early interest in birds drove Gilbert and Smith to expand the gardens to include all the exotic plants and sculpture in the beautiful gardens we were visiting that morning.




The temperature was not in the 80's yet (27 C) and the humidity was low – about 30%, so it was pleasant walking the paths in the garden. The sun was bright and glimmered among the trees creating gray shadows but making it a bit hard to take good pictures. With the garden brochure and map in hand we started our exploration.

The brochure states “Welcome to one of North Georgia’s hidden gems, Smith-Gilbert Gardens. As an established collectors garden, we have over 3,000 species of plants, many unique to American gardens. Having grown through the years, the Gardens stand out as an exceptional blend of art, history and horticultural, all creating a tranquil respite of reflection and enjoyment. Enjoy the highlight of 30 sculptures carefully positioned among plant species, all surrounding the historic (ca. 1882) Hiram Butler house.” We started the exploration with the Conifer Garden.




The marker says that the collection here has been designated as a "reference garden" by the American Conifer Society. Over 200 conifer varieties have been gathered by the founders and have been labeled with their botanical and common names and the year they were planted.




Here is a shrub which is well named – don’t its leaves look like parsley?




Walking on the shady path we passed several beautiful plants including lovely species of Hosta – the Georgia Hosta Society has designated it a “display garden” and it was hard not to touch their rounded leaves, shown in the center right of the collage below.




Turning around the path we saw a mulberry tree with an unusual bent.




Stepping down to the other side of the small hill I came close to the sculpture named “Respite” (1980) by Frank Creech, a Florida artist. I wonder if it does not represent Gilbert and Smith taking a rest in their gardens.




It is very easy to rest in these gardens as many benches are placed so one can sit, listen and contemplate the beauty of nature while listening to the song of the birds.




We arrived at a large open space with a piece called “Untitled” (1984) by Atlanta sculptor Edward Chrisman. On the other side of the grassy expense stood a tall Eastern Cedar where my husband went to sit in its shade. I went closer to the rose garden to admire and take picture of the colorful roses.




So many roses … with lovely colors and fragrances … some light pink




some a darker shade of pink, almost fuchsia




some pale yellow and coral - all the way to vibrant red




some alone and some in bouquet

then finally some roses fresh, just opened and some almost faded.




This reminds me of a saying my mother used to say:

“Fleurs qui fanent – coeur en panne,
Fleurs fanées – coeur aimé.”

[Flowers that are fading - heart that is braking, Faded flowers – heart loved.]

Vintage postcard of roses – sent in 1909 to Bernice in Maine

more to come later...

A Visit to WABE, Public Broadcasting Atlanta

A week or so ago, on Wednesday 3rd August, my husband and I drove to the PBA radio station in Atlanta. The morning went very well but the evening – not so much. My laptop computer, which I use for my blog and my photos, stopped working. My cell phone stopped working. Our older car would not start and the dishwasher overflowed. A new cell phone is coming in the mail but the other three are still on hold. I did not get close to another computer until now but, there is usually something good to come out of a bad situation. I finished the two little car blankets for my new grandson – one for my daughter’s car and one for my son-in-law’s car – see below (I placed my little luggage lock to give an idea of size.) Click on collages to enlarge and then click on each picture to enlarge again.



I also had extra time to experiment with new vegetable recipes, make new travel plans and, best of all, had more time to read. I read seven books in those ten days – 6 non-fiction and reread one classic fiction which I had read decades ago – The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. This book shows that it cost $1.25 new at the time. After reading it, the first time, we drove to Montgomery in Alabama and visited the apartment where Scott and his wife Zelda lived in the early 30s, but I don’t remember it too well.

Photo courtesy Justin Dubois

The other books I read are: “Sacrés Américains” and “Sacrés Français” by Ted Stanger a Newsweek editor writing in French while working in France, “Paris” by Julian Green, “That Summer in Paris” by Morley Callaghan, “The Flaneur” by Edmund White and “A Literary Paris” edited by Jamie Cox Robertson. I am also well into two more books. After going to Paris in May I am still in a Paris kind of mood.




That Wednesday morning was clear and sunny. We found the WABE radio station easily and left the car at the end of a line of automobiles parked on the paved road of an unfinished, or never started, site of condominiums.

We have been supporters of WABE, our local NPR radio station, for many years and have cups, bags, tee-shirts and various sundries given from them as thank you gifts. Last October during the pledge drive we contributed toward the “Coffee with Lois” visit. Somehow we were omitted from the list of members invited to this coffee event earlier in the year but were invited to come on the 3rd of August. The building looked from the 1950 era and the graveled parking lot was being resurfaced. The entrance was very plain.

We were greeted and then stayed in the lobby a few minutes – our appointment was for 10:30 am.

Kevin Skelly, the Event Manager/On-air fundraising, escorted us to a small conference room where coffee, muffins and fruits were waiting for us. I was surprised that we were the only guests but I guess the others came earlier this year.



A large window occupied one of the walls and the studio could be seen through the glass. I took a picture (you can see the reflection of Kevin on the left and me taking the picture, on the right.)



A cheerful and friendly young lad, Kevin, shown below, gave us some background history of the station. Georgia’s first Public Radio Station 90.1 FM WABE signed on-the-air in September 1948. At first the Atlanta and Fulton County Boards of Education used the station to instruct the county children. The Atlanta Board of Education (ABE) holds the license for the station; hence the station is named WABE. In 1958 the station moved to their present location together with WPBA the companion television station (which is why the building looks like it is in the 50s style – it dates from the 50s – and has not been updated much.) In 1971 WABE became a Charter Member of National Public Radio (NPR.)




Presently Lois Reitzes, the program director and host of Second Cup, the weekday morning show, came into the room.




Here was “the voice” we knew so well. She looked so much younger than I imagined (since her voice sounds like my late mother- in-law.) She gave us a copy of that day’s Play List.




While Johannes Brahms‘ Sonata No. 2 for Violin & Piano played in the background, Lois in her contralto type voice explained how the station worked on the air. She showed us the binder with the program for the day and explained how the air time was divided into segments. The program log for the network is electronic but she also has a hard copy. The overnight music service is provided automatically by the Minnesota Public Radio. WABE broadcasts 24 hours a day and has to pay for the NPR and PRI programs as well as for the other shows presented on the station.

Most listeners like Lois’ soothing voice – it is the way she speaks and not a special “air only” voice – she is very natural. She told us that she started at WABE in 1979 with a 5:30 AM show. In 2006 there was a re-organization with a News Director. Steve Goss, the local host of Morning Edition, came in the room for a minute. I told him I used to listen to him – which did not sound very nice, so I added that since I retired a couple of years ago I do not get up so early. I used to listen to him when he started his show at 5:00 AM. He left the room quickly and I did not get a chance to take his picture, but later I saw one on the wall and snapped it. The picture is not very clear because of the reflection from the lights.




On the wall I saw another familiar name – Valerie Jackson. She is the former First Lady of Atlanta. Her husband Maynard Jackson (1938-2003) was the first African-American mayor of Atlanta. To honor him the name of the Atlanta Airport was changed to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Valerie is the host of “Between the Lines” a weekly program where she interviews notable authors on their latest books. Her picture is below.




Lois Reitzes took us into the studio. I was surprised at how small it was. The corporation where I worked had a studio which was a lot larger.

Lois explained how she reads and follows the colored computer screen to her left and watches the clock so she can switch to a newscast or an announcement at the exact second. At the top of the hour there is usually 5 minutes of local news, 5 minutes of national news plus weather and traffic announcements.

When it was time for her to start the next CD from the Play List, we stood behind her in the studio holding our breath afraid to make a sound.

Kevin took us to the computerized music library which holds thousands of CDs.

Then he showed us two additional studios, both small. One is for interviewing guests

and the other for pre-recorded programs – that one is tiny.

John Weatherford, the general manager, came in briefly to say “hi” and tell us that he likes to greet WABE members as the station relies on our support (and I can tell that they do not spend the members’ contributions in interior decoration…) I read later that John Weatherford has been with WABE for seven years in which time the newsroom has grown from two reporters and two part-time announcers to over 10 full time newsroom employees. The station has added arts coverage with the daily “Cite Café” hosted by John Lemley. John Weatherford’s picture is below.




It was time to say “goodbye.” Kevin accompanied us downstairs. We passed the offices, then we stopped to look at all the pictures of the people who shared their life stories on StoryCorps. Since 2003, over 50,000 people have been interviewed on the national show StoryCorps which is the largest oral history project of its kind. Each conversation is recorded on a CD to share, then it is preserved in the Library of Congress. There is a StoryCorps booth in Atlanta where 1200 stories from the Atlanta community have been recorded and shared since its debut two years ago.

We left the little studio which broadcasts beautiful sounds on the airwaves as well as provides NPR News and other interesting programs. Later on, actually on August 9th, I listened to an NPR program which was thought-provoking. It was about Christian Evangelicals questioning the existence of Adam and Eve. It seems that some conservative scholars are saying publicly that they can no longer believe that we are descending from Adam and Eve. Some say this is a “Galileo Moment” and with the mapping of the human genome and the genetic variation of people today they cannot believe in the Bible Genesis account any longer. Some other theologians did not agree. This was an unusual program to listen to. Below is an old Newsweek issue on Adam and Eve (showing them as Africans since this is from where humankind is supposed to have evolved.)




I am not happily listening to all programs though. For example last Thursday on PRI “The World” the broadcaster was talking about S&P downgrading the US to an AA rating. He then said that 18 countries still had a triple A rating and listed them: Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Isle of Man, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom. I noticed that he had not listed France. But a moment later he came back and said something to the effect …and the one that hurts the most….France! France still has an AAA rating! I could not believe this. Why should the USA be hurt that France still has a triple A rating? Why not little Isle of Man for example? I thought this was a racist comment not worth of PRI (Public Radio International.) But then later I read someone commenting on this and saying “I agree that nothing brings American liberals and conservative together like French bashing.” That is sad. But c’est la vie….

Photo courtesy French Embassy

Whether I am stimulated or upset while listening to WABE, NPR and PRI I keep listening as it has some of the most interesting music, news and reporting program on the air.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Addendum January 2015 - WABE has made a change on their on-air programming.  It has now a totally different format - more local news, more talk, less music.  The classical programming has been cut extensively to hardly any music during the day.  I have enjoyed listening to this radio station for over thirty years and am a member.  But, talk radio is not something that I enjoy - there are many radio stations for this.  WABE had a special niche with great classical music, now it is one more run-of-the-mill news and talk radio station.  I am not renewing my membership.  From reading the reviews on this new format, I believe many members will not renew either.  I think WABE is in the slow process of self-destruction.  It is a terrible loss for Greater Atlanta, and it is very sad.

Brussels – the Armenian Boghossian Foundation and Villa Empain

After leaving Erasmus’s garden (see last post) we went back to our friends’ home for a late lunch. It was a delicious lunch with fresh German mineral water. (Please click on pictures to enlarge them, and a second time on each picture in collages.)




We were taking an evening train back to Paris and quickly packed our bags. Our friend said we had enough time to visit one more interesting building in Brussels. When they suggested that we visit the villa renovated by the Boghossian Foundation, I said “yes” immediately as I knew this would be an Armenian foundation. My friend Serge parents were both Armenian and my father was an Armenian from Istanbul, Turkey.



About 94% of Armenian family names end with “ian.” My maiden name did end in ian and was long and difficult to pronounce. Many Armenians who left during the mass killing in Turkey changed their names. The father of Andre Agassi of tennis fame changed their name from Aghassian to Agassi. Mike Connors who played Mannix in a CBS show was born Krekor Ohanian. Arlene Francis who was a panelist for years on “What’s my line” was born Arline Francis Kazanjian. Of course everyone knows that the singer Cher was born Cherilyn Sarkisian. But some did not change their name like the author William Saroyan, the musical drum maker Zildjian, “doctor death” Jack Kevorkian and, of course, the Kardashian family. Some names did not end in “ian” like the journalist Nicholas Donabet Kristof who wrote the book “Half the Sky” and is a regular commentator for the New York Times – his father was an ethnic Armenian from the Carpathian region of Europe.

Photo courtesy Armenian Weekly

Serge told me the story of the Villa Empain as we were driving there. Edouard Empain was a self-made Belgian engineer, railroad and banking tycoon who became extremely wealthy. He founded many companies including the Paris Metro which his family owned until 1949 and the development of Heliopolis near Cairo, Egypt. One of his sons, 21 years old Louis, had a residence built in a prestigious area of Brussels. This art deco gem was built in 1934 as a bachelor pad. Louis donated his property to the Belgian State in 1937 with the understanding that it would become a museum of contemporary art. This was not done and several years later the German Army requisitioned the villa and occupied it until the end of the war. Then it became the Soviet Embassy. In the 60s the Empain family recovered the property since the Belgian State had not made it a museum, as agreed, and then sold it. It was occupied by a TV station in the 1990s but was later abandoned – vandals and squatters came in - this was almost the end of the beautiful villa.

Fortunately a family of Armenian jewelers, the Boghossian, rescued the villa when they purchased it as headquarters for their family foundation as well as for a cultural center promoting an East-West dialogue through art. The Boghossian family fled Armenia during the genocide. They left Lebanon after the civil war there and pursued their diamond and jewelry business in Geneva, Switzerland and Antwerp, Belgium. For more than four generations they have created fine jewelry. Their brand “Bogh-Art” is sought after by jewelry connoisseurs. Below are some samples of their work.

Photos courtesy Bogh-Art

Much of the interior of the house had been destroyed and extensive renovations had to be made. The Boghossian Foundation and the Brussels Region Committee spent over 12 millions Euros (US $17.3 million) to bring the villa back to its original splendor - it was opened to the public in April 2010. “We want the Villa Empain to become a center of creativity and of dialogue between different cultures,” Jean Boghossian writes on the foundation’s website. “If the Villa Empain becomes the center of shared creativity, the ‘embassy’ of oriental cultures in the capital of Europe, we will have realized our dream.” Pictures below showing renovations from the archives of the Boghossian Foundation.

The outside of the house is a bit austere as it is made of polished granite with windows framed in bronze. The front door with gold-leaf framing is outstanding.



Once inside I was overwhelmed by the beautiful Art Deco lines, the doors and partitions carved from mahogany, rosewood and burr walnut. The floors and wall covered in Carrara marble look sleek.




An exhibit called “Modesty and Anger of Women” was being shown – it will be there until 25 September 2011. The brochure states that thirty Eastern and Western artists were invited to express themselves on the multiple aspects of the feminine body.

“Rituals, wigs, scarves, make-up and so many other constraints determined the life of women for Centuries, between concealment, unveiling and revealing…. Since millenniums and in most cultures, women hide certain parts of their body. Is it natural modesty which protects them, signs of respect or constraints imposed by a collectively recognized decency?... The mirror, the Oriental amulets which protect from the evil eye, eyes hidden behind dark glasses or under the netting of a chadri, made up with kohl, shy or provocative; the mysteries of these multiple expressions have fascinated and inspired many artists.” Here is a collection of pictures I took at this exhibit.






I especially liked this sculpture



Well, maybe because of the frog. Isn’t it cute?



The artists were from many different lands: Egypt, Switzerland, Japan, India, France, Italy, Poland, The USA, UAE, Iran, Lebanon, Israël, Iraq, Russia, Turkey, the Netherlands, China, Portugal, Belgium. As I was walking admiring all these pieces of art I was also checking the many Art Deco touches and furniture of the villa.



The swimming pool looked like a cool oasis during warm days (wish I was there now!)


Entering a small room we saw a couple of inviting chairs to rest our tired feet.



There was more to see like these photographs by Egyptian Youssef Nabil



but we had a train to catch in a little while. So we left this splendid villa. I still had time to take more pictures of the Brussels buildings.



It did not take very long to pick-up our bags and be at the station.



Time to take our 7:15 pm train to Paris.



What a wonderful two days we had in Brussels. We saw so much it seems we were there much longer. Au revoir Bruxelles!