Woodlands Garden

When Dr. Chester Morse of Massachusetts and Eugenia Slack Morse of Decatur first moved to this wooded land in 1946, Scott Boulevard was a dirt road and their property, an old farm site, was a honeysuckle jungle. Chet and Gene added to their original small parcel to create the 7-acre tract that is now Woodlands Garden. In 2002, Chet and Gene Morse arranged to have their Decatur home and its surrounding seven acres permanently preserved from development, so future generations could experience and enjoy their wooded estate. They understood the importance of tempering Decatur’s rapid urbanization (projected 29 percent growth in 20 years) and turned down large offers from developers.

Since 2002 the family and community have created a remarkable collaboration. Woodlands Garden is now a 501c3 nonprofit with a dedicated Board of Directors who honor the Morse Family vision to open the garden to the community. Now the property serves as a unique showcase for plants and trees native to the north Georgia Piedmont. The Board of Directors pursues a Strategic Plan to achieve the mission of Woodlands Garden:

Preserving a woodland garden as an urban sanctuary to educate and engage the community in the natural world.