If you’re ready to shake off the winter blues and welcome brighter days, head to Gibbs Gardens Daffodil Festival in Ball Ground, Georgia. Each year, in early March, the garden opens with over 20 million daffodils (yes, 20 MILLION) in hundreds of varieties. It always overwhelms me in the best way to see the hills and woods flooded with these sunny blooms.
Plan Your Visit
Location: 1987 Gibbs Dr, Ball Ground, GA 30107
Hours: Tuesday – Sunday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. (March through early-December)
Cost: $25 for adults, $18 for seniors, $10 for children
Gibbs Gardens is about two hours from Athens, GA and an hour from Atlanta, making it the perfect spring day trip.
What to Expect at Gibbs Gardens
Gibbs Gardens typically opens for the year in early March (in 2025, they open on March 7th). While the weather can shape your experience, mid-March often offers a gorgeous overlap of daffodils, tulips, and cherry blossoms.
Although the daffodils are the main attraction, Gibbs Gardens is vast, with several spectacular garden areas. Make sure to check out a map of the grounds! If you go in early spring, highlights include the Daffodil Gardens, the Wildflower Meadow, the Japanese Gardens, the Fern Dell, and the Manor House Gardens.
Gibbs Gardens in Other Seasons
Gibbs Gardens is worth visiting beyond spring. In the summer, don’t miss the waterlilies and roses. Inspired by Monet’s home in Giverny, France, Jim Gibbs designed five ponds to showcase over 140 varieties of waterlilies, complete with a green steel bridge like Monet’s. My favorite time of year to visit is early November for the Japanese Maple Colorfest. This is the ultimate in fall leaf peeping — Japanese maples are so elegant and seeing their delicate leaves turn bright red and yellow is surreal!
A Little Daffodil 101
Daffodils are among the first flowers to bloom each year, making them the heralds of spring. They symbolize rebirth and new beginnings… which makes sense why they’re often associated with Easter. In China they represent good fortune, in Japan they symbolize joy, and in Victorian floriography, they convey hope, chivalry and respect. (The Victorian language of flowers has some less favorable meanings for daffodils too but let’s stick with the good stuff here!). Another thing to love about daffodils is that they are deer and critter proof, making them one of the most reliable blooms (at least around my deer-heavy home).
Daffodils in Pop Culture
Daffodils have inspired poets, musicians, and filmmakers for centuries:
- Poetry: William Wordsworth’s “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” is practically the anthem of daffodil lovers!
- Music: The Cranberries’ “Daffodil Lament” and Florence + The Machine’s “Daffodil“ use the flower as a metaphor for change, resilience, and transformation.
- Film: Big Fish (2003) features a stunning field of daffodils in a grand romantic gesture.
What’s Nearby?
- Gainesville, GA (25 minute drive from Gibbs) – Y’all, I love Gainesville. If you’re driving from Athens, GA, don’t forget to stop in Gainesville for Danny’s Donuts, Value Village, Lake Lanier and Don Carter State Park.
- Cumming, GA (30 minutes away) – Another fun stop between Athens and Gainesville. Visit Booger Hill, a haunted gravity hill, or hike Indian Seats for a scenic summit view.
- Amicalola Falls State Park (40 minutes away) – The tallest cascading waterfall in the Southeast.
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