Rhododendrons Gallore at Hamilton Gardens
There is a spectacular, more than 30 acre woodland garden, in north Georgia that is worth a visit in spring when the native rhododendrons are blooming. Accoring to their website it is home to the largest selection of rhododendrons in the Southeast and Tripadvisor says "this botanical paradise has over 400 varieties and 3,000 plants overall". This is a garden that has been on my list to visit for some time and finally a friend and I took the 90 minute scenic drive through mountain gaps and valley floors along rushing rivers-GORGEOUS-to arrive at Hamilton Gardens in Hiawassee. The garden is tucked inside the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds on a slope where gently winding paths takes one through the gardens and along the shoreline of Lake Chatgue. The azaleas were going strong with a variety of native and non-native species blooming when we visited. The gardens are on the southern edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains with views of Georgia's highest peak, Brasstown Bald (4,784
