Project: Habitat Restoration, Establishment of Native Plant Garden 

The Harold Cox Nature Garden is a woodland habitat located at the base of Stone Mountain and includes areas of rock outcrop, streams and many Northern affiliate plants. 

Our education staff will be responsible for all long-term maintenance at the Garden. 

Throughout Spring and Summer 2007 we created an inventory of Native Plants on the Nature Garden Trail (NGT), identified exotic invasive plant species present on the NGT and mapped areas for invasive removal. 

Nature Garden Native Plant Inventory

For more information on invasive plants, go to http://www.gaeppc.org/list.cfm.

Completed Restoration Work

July - August, 2010: continued to clear more around the plant signs to highlight the plants better, installed more plant signs, created a new, meandering path through the middle of the garden.  Invasive plant update: all the English Ivy is gone from the area, Honeysuckle is gone from the garden area but remains at places along the path, Periwinkle is only

April 2009 - June 2010: installed more plant signs, created a better plan for the entire garden area, cleared non-native azaleas in one section and replanted a few shrubs (native azalea, arrowwood, buckeye), cleared more area around plant signs to highlight the plants better, cut various volunteer trees taking over some areas, weeded the rock outcrop, sat back and watched what came up in what spots.

February 2009 - May 2009: continued installing plant signs, monitored/maintained the trail system in a sustainable state, and began assessing existing plants in the garden in preparation for replanting

December 2008-January 2009: installed numerous plant signs.

April 2008 - November 2008: continued to remove invasive plants, planted native plants when water conditions and time permitted, recruited volunteers to help on planned public work days, and monitored/maintained the trail system in a sustainable state.

February and March 2008: monitored for needed work (adding stepping stones, reshaping trea:d), installed new trail signs, removed honeysuckle and english ivy

January 2008: removed invasive honeysuckle in Garden Area with  volunteers, rerouted a section of trail away from a steep, easily eroded area, installed benches, installed new trail signs

December  2007: removed invasive honeysuckle in Garden Area with Georgia Native Plant Society volunteers, created and installed new trail maps, removed English Ivy

November 2007: weeded rock outcrop area

October 2007: removed invasive periwinkle and nonnative Tea Olive and replaced with numerous native plants, split rail fence installed along eroded creek bank area in Garden area, weeded rock outcrop area, snow fencing installed to cut off offshoot trails that confuse visitors and disturb plants, stepping stone crossings re-laid

September 2007: Christmas Fern, Itea and Royal Fern planted along some eroded and steep creek banks, new split rail fence installed at the Garden entrance and along the road, Native plants gathered from plant rescues with the Georgia Native Plant Society or other areas of the Park, weeded Rock outcrop area

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