The idyllic setting will surely intrigue you when you arrive at 45 Finch Forest Trail. You’ll wind through the trees and pass the lake on your way to the hilltop motor court. The sleek lines of the façade hint at what’s inside, and natural stone accents help the home blend with the natural surroundings.
The theme of this home is the connection between indoor living and the beautiful outdoor spaces that surround the home. Front-facing rooms all have views of the forest and the lake. The other side of the home features huge windows and glass doors leading to private manicured gardens. You will feel like you are in an elegant private tree house. And don’t forget the pool terrace, with its covered patio and lake view!
Inside, you will be treated to a completely renovated home! The dramatic 2-story entrance foyer is only the beginning of the modern open spaces you’ll find on the main floor. A formal living room, with its fireplace and wall of windows, flows effortlessly into the formal dining room. Each room is separate and distinct, yet connected and open to the rest of the home. The design of the home affords beautiful views of the outdoors from nearly every angle.
The kitchen features gorgeous custom cabinets, and finishes throughout that bring in natural colors and textures. A large central island, with integrated Wolf cooktop, includes an extended countertop with seating for 4 or more.
The adjacent family room offers yet another connection to the outdoors. Large sliding doors open to seamlessly connect the room with the covered deck outside. Here you can enjoy outdoor cooking, dining, or just visiting with stunning pool and lake views.
An office on the main level is a truly private place to run your business. Amenities like garden views, a private patio, and adjacent half bath are on the opposite end of the home from the hustle and bustle of the kitchen and family room.
Huge windows and great views continue when you head upstairs. A unique curving corridor spans the upper level, and provides natural light and garden views. Two bedroom suites occupy one end of the upper level. Each has an ensuite bath and a generous closet.
The upstairs bonus room is a remarkable space with a few surprises! At first glance you’ll find a large well-appointed media room. The surprises come when you pull back the blackout curtains on either side of the room. One side reveals a home gym, and the other a private office.
Entering the owner’s suite through double doors, you will find a huge bedroom, featuring a fireplace and private balcony. The recently renovated master bath is sleek and modern, with double vanities, a large shower, and a soaking tub. A connected walk-in closet is double sized for plenty of storage.
Your family and friends will want to come over just for the terrace level! The main area is built for entertaining. You will find more than enough room for game tables, and you can mix your favorite cocktails behind the integrated bar. Even on this downstairs level, walls of windows fill the space with natural light and provide gorgeous views. A large seating area with pool view will surely become your favorite place to watch the big game. The full bath next to the door serves the recreational spaces indoors, and serves as a handy pool bath.
Your guests will be calm and comfortable in the terrace level guest suite. This private space includes an ensuite bath and large walk-in closet, plus perfect views of the lake.
There are many reasons why Sandy Springs addresses inside the perimeter are highly desirable, attracting business magnates and international superstars. The beautiful estates offer privacy and tranquility, but the quiet neighborhoods are a stone’s throw from the restaurants, shopping, great schools, and activities that make Buckhead and Sandy Springs such great places to live.
Buckhead’s best hiking and recreation is right around the corner. The Chattahoochee River National Park includes 400 acres of pristine wildlife with 10+ miles of hiking trails, stunning views, and opportunities for water sports such as rafting, kayaking, tubing, and fishing on the Chattahoochee River. Chastain Park offers golf, team sports, a horse park, and much more.
Buckhead’s portion of the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area represents over 400 acres of pristine wildlife with 10+ miles of hiking trails, stunning views, and opportunities for water sports such as rafting, kayaking, tubing, and fishing on the Chattahoochee River. The trails in the Park are accessible from the Whitewater Creek trailhead and the Indian Trail Trailhead in Sandy Springs.
Sharply increasing interest rates have created downward pressure on the real estate market nationwide during the 3rd-quarter of 2022. The Buckhead real estate market is certainly not immune to these market forces, but the impact so far has been somewhat mixed. Anecdotally, the number of buyers looking at homes has decreased substantially, but prices have so far remained strong thanks to the upper end of the market remaining resilient, along with limited inventory.
The high-end of the market more often involves cash purchases, making interest rates less of a consideration. Of the top 10 home sales in Buckhead during the 3rd quarter of 2022 (shown on the facing page), only two involved a mortgage and the other eight were paid for in cash. Higher interest rates will still likely impact this market segment through a “trickle-up” effect that has already begin at the lower end of the market.
The sales data, that I compiled to compare the third quarter of this year to the same period last year, appears at first glance to be very contradictory. It shows year-over-year price gains of 9% for single family homes, even as the number of sales substantially declined by a whopping 37%. Buckhead condo and townhome sales saw the same decline in sales volume, coupled with a more moderate increase in the average sale price.
One explanation for this phenomenon is simply that the under-$1.5 million price range had a higher rate of reduction in total homes sold (down 41%) than more expensive homes. This makes a good portion of the increase in average sale price attributable to the high-end of the market being less dependent on financing. The market tends to follow predictable patterns and it appears that the next year will be a reset to more sustainable supply and demand trends.
| 3rd Quarter 2021 | 3rd Quarter 2022 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Single family homes | Total Sold | 341 | 214 |
| Average sale price | $1,428,561 | $1,569,748 | |
| Average days on market | 45 | 42 | |
| Condo/ Townhomes | Total sold | 540 | 380 |
| Average price | $403,102 | $416,882 | |
| Average days on market | 45 | 45 |
It is always a pleasure to see the variety, architecture, and design of the top ten home sales in Buckhead. Once again, I had the honor of selling more of the top 10 homes than any other broker! The list below does not include an off-market sale of a new home at 3115 Nancy Creek Road. This home sold for $6,228,300 and was built by Siegel Construction and Design. Click on any of the homes below to see more!
It is hard to imagine a quieter or more peaceful setting than where 115 E Chambord sits on a culdesac off of Davis Drive, surrounded by large estates. The home is classic, stately and elegant, with warm and inviting spaces your family will love. The current owner/designer has kept the home updated and renovated through several decades of ownership, with Spitzmiller and Norris assisting on renovations and the guesthouse addition.
The carefully designed gardens include a large lawn, a rose garden, and a woodland garden with extensive pathways. The lush pool courtyard is the perfect place to both relax and entertain.
Around the side of the home, a large motor court connects the five garages (three are air-conditioned!). A beautiful breezeway connects the detached 3-car garage, guest apartment and a flower arranging workshop to the main house. You will appreciate the convenience and sustainability of many features such as the private well, and a generator in case of an outage.
Intricate millwork and other fine details are found throughout the home. The grand entry foyer leads to the formal dining room and the central hallway. The living room is a bright space features a wall of French door that open onto the sun porch and the pool terrace beyond. On the way to the kitchen you’ll find a wet bar that is great for entertaining on the main level as well as the pool terrace.
They say the kitchen is the heart of a home, and this totally updated kitchen makes a convincing argument for that idea! High end Wolf appliances, huge center island with counter seating, and a bright breakfast area are only the beginning. Skylights in the vaulted ship-lap ceiling flood the large space with natural light. Custom cabinets and a walk-in pantry provide ample storage.
A two-sided stone fireplace connects the kitchen to the family room, with its vaulted ceiling, window seat, and built-in book cases. It displays a depth of character that is so hard to find in homes today!
Down the central hallway on the main level you’ll pass the private study on your way to the owners’ suite. The main bedroom features ample space for a sitting room and more, a fireplace, and access to the sun porch and the pool terrace.
A large walk-in closet with custom built-ins leads to the luxurious master bath with soaking tub, dual vanities, and gorgeous view of the natural surroundings.
Access the upper level from the grand main staircase, or a second staircase near the kitchen. Upstairs you’ll find three generous bedroom suites, a huge finished storage/closet space, and easy access to the attic spaces.
Two bedrooms have ensuite baths and large closets. The third has a private sitting room, and a closet large enough to function as a nursery!
The finished terrace level has many spaces that will surprise you. A large family room with a dining area leads to the rec room. In the rec room you’ll find a stone fireplace, full kitchen, and access to a lovely brick patio and back yard.
A full bedroom suite is adjacent to the rec room, and down the hall you’ll find the dance studio, home gym, and multiple storage rooms.
The detached garage is referred to as the “guest house”, and it’s easy to see why. The driveway level has a large storage room and a full garden workshop with a utility sink and direct access to the garden.
The upper level centers around a large main studio bedroom, with a separate office area, kitchen, and full ensuite bath. The guest house also makes the perfect headquarters for your home-based business.
There are many reasons why Sandy Springs addresses inside the perimeter are highly desirable, attracting business magnates and international superstars. The beautiful estates offer privacy and tranquility, but the quiet neighborhoods are a stone’s throw from the restaurants, shopping, great schools, and activities that make Buckhead and Sandy Springs such great places to live.
Buckhead’s best hiking and recreation is right around the corner. The Chattahoochee River National Park includes 400 acres of pristine wildlife with 10+ miles of hiking trails, stunning views, and opportunities for water sports such as rafting, kayaking, tubing, and fishing on the Chattahoochee River. Chastain Park offers golf, team sports, a horse park, and much more.
It used to be simple to decide what to do on the Fourth of July in Buckhead. The annual fireworks over Lenox Square Mall were always spectacular, and it was usually the largest fireworks display in the metro area. After 57 years, the Lenox Square fireworks were cancelled in 2017, and the celebration was combined with the competing fireworks show at Centennial Park in downtown Atlanta. The Centennial Park Celebration was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but it is back for 2022 with a few changes. See our list below for the details.
There is still one Independence Day tradition that is alive and well in Buckhead. The Peachtree Road Race has started in Buckhead each July 4 since 1970, except for a virtual race due to the pandemic in 2020. Runners hurry each year to grab one of the 60,000 spots in the world’s largest 10k race.
You can participate in the Peachtree Road Race, even if you’re not a runner. There are numerous opportunities to volunteer on the Atlanta Track Club website. Positions include Race Marshall, and simply handing out snacks and water at various stations along the route. Many of the volunteer locations are easily accessible in the heart of Buckhead.
The party continues at the finish line in Piedmont Park. You can drive or take Marta to midtown to enjoy live music and food trucks, or simply cheer on the tired runners as they finish the race.
Even though our neighborhood doesn’t have its own fireworks show, there are plenty of opportunities to celebrate nearby. We’ve compiled a list of celebrations to enjoy in nearby communities. Many of these are accessible by Marta or a short Uber ride if you don’t want to hassle with parking.
The largest fireworks display in the Southeast is back in 2022 with some big changes. The all-new celebration is titled “Look Up Atlanta’, and it will be held on Sunday, July 3. The biggest change besides the event not being held on the fourth, is the addition of tickets. That’s right, you’ll have to pay for the privilege of attending what has always been a free event.
In addition to the huge fireworks display, there will be numerous food and beverage options for purchase, and performances by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Angelica Hale.
Tickets start at $10, with VIP options up to $40. All proceeds benefit the Centennial Olympic Park beautification fund. Check out the event website to find out more and purchase tickets.
Baseball fans can celebrate Independence Day with America’s Team at Truist Park on July 4th. The Braves will take on the St Louis Cardinals at 7:20pm, with fireworks following the game. Be sure to get there early to find a parking space and take advantage of the great dining options at The Battery. Visit the Braves website for tickets.
Our neighbors in Sandy Springs continue to create fun events on the lawn at City Springs. If you haven’t checked out this great outdoor venue yet, we think you’ll be delighted when you do.
The lawn will open to set up lawn chairs and blankets at 4:00pm on the 4th, and food trucks from around the metro area will begin serving at 6:00. “America’s Greatest 80s Tribute Band”, Electric Avenue, will start rocking at 7:30, and they will play until the fireworks start at 9:30. Visit the Sandy Springs website for more information.
The Stone Mountain Lasershow is an Atlanta tradition, and the park goes all out to celebrate Independence Day. Reservations are recommended, but the Park’s celebration goes on for five nights. This is a great option if you want to see great fireworks without battling the crowds on July 4. You and your family can spend the day hiking at the park or enjoying the other park attractions, then take in the laser show and fireworks after dark. Visit the Stone Mountain website to reserve your passes.
Here is your chance to own a grand home with the best views in the city, and all of this within walking distance of the best hiking in the metro area! The beautiful stone and shingle facade is nestled among mature trees, but wait until you see the jaw-dropping back of the home. Here you’ll find stone terraces and multiple decks serving four floors of living space. An elevator makes it easy for your multi-generational family to enjoy all of the wonderful spaces. The pool terrace features a spa and natural stone diving rock, and don’t miss the view all the way to downtown Atlanta.
The entire skyline of Atlanta is clearly visible from every room on the back of the house. Watching the sun rise and set over the city from your private retreat in the trees is the perfect blend of privacy and connected living. This amazing view of the Atlanta skyline was recorded from the third floor window of 1380 Indian Trail NW, and it is representative of the views from each floor of the home.
There’s no better spot for you if you like hiking and outdoor activity. The East Palisades trail in the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area is less than 1000ft from your front door! You can take your morning walks through the best hiking trails this side of North Georgia, or enjoy the tiny commute to put your kayak or tube in the water.
You will notice the high ceilings, detailed millwork, and open floor plan when you walk through the front door, and then the view will grab your attention. The wall of windows across the back of the home dramatically showcases the view across the treetops all the way to downtown. The open space includes a formal dining room and a large fireside family room. To your right you’ll find the library, with built in shelves and rich wood coffered ceiling. The living room is accessed through dual French doors, and has access to a private deck.
The other end of the main floor is dedicated to the kitchen. A large island is surrounded by custom cabinetry, and stainless steel appliances, like the Thor Gas range with double ovens. Counter seating and a breakfast area by the fireplace will surely make this a hub of activity for your family. A covered deck off of the kitchen provides space to grill and dine outdoors.
The second floor contains four of the home’s bedrooms, including the huge main bedroom. The main bedroom features a grand bedroom with skyline views and plenty of space for a king sized bed, seating area, and more. The master bath has a jetted soaking tub, huge separate shower, and double vanities. You’ll have storage to spare in the walk-in closet with dressing table/dresser, and an additional linen closet.
Each of the additional bedrooms has an ensuite bath and large closet. The laundry room is conveniently located on this floor as well.
The third floor features a bright bonus room. This private space has a window with the trademark views of downtown, and is the perfect spot for a playroom or private home office.
The terrace level has a bright second family room with great views. It is a perfect place for entertaining, since the party can easily spill out onto the stone patio outside, and to the pool terrace beyond. There two additional rooms and full bath on this level. You can use it as a guest suite, media room, or create a private in-house spa!The garage has enough room for three cars, or two cars and a large workshop space. An additional storage room allows for a small workshop space, even if you need room for three cars.
Buckhead’s portion of the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area represents over 400 acres of pristine wildlife with 10+ miles of hiking trails, stunning views, and opportunities for water sports such as rafting, kayaking, tubing, and fishing on the Chattahoochee River. The trails in the Park are accessible from the Whitewater Creek trailhead and the Indian Trail Trailhead in Sandy Springs.
Springtime in Buckhead highlights some of our favorite parts of the community. Our staff has long celebrated the green spaces and outdoor activities that make Buckhead such a unique collection of neighborhoods. As the warm weather encourages us to get out and explore with family and friends, we are delighted to share our top 5 favorite places to enjoy springtime in Buckhead.
Bobby Jones Golf Course has been a Buckhead staple since 1932. The course features two 9-hole courses, each with multiple tees and double greens. The different tee and pin combinations provide golfers a unique experience each time they play.
The Murray Golf House at Bobby Jones Golf Course is more than just a clubhouse. It is home to the Ed Hoard Golf Shop, Boone’s Restaurant, and the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame. Don’t miss the state-of-the-art Grand Slam Golf Academy to take your game to the next level!
Atlanta Memorial Park has a lot to offer non-golfers as well. The Bitsy Grant Tennis Center boasts the largest grass-roots tennis organization in the country. Atlanta Memorial Park winds along the southern bank of Peachtree Creek on the west side of Northside Drive. You’ll find lots of picnic tables near the large playground, and plenty of room to play and explore along the creek.
The Northwest Beltline Connector trail connects Atlanta Memorial Park to Tanyard Creek Park and Ardmore Park, where it intersects with the Atlanta Beltline Trail.
The East Palisades section of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area provides Buckhead residents with a truly unique hiking experience without driving out of town. The Indian Trail parking lot is just 15 minutes from the Buckhead Village District!
The East Palisades includes more than 10 miles of hiking trails along the bluffs and shoals on the Chattahoochee River. Highlights of the trail system include an overlook deck with panoramic views of the river, and ruins of riverside settlements. If you take the trail far enough north along the river you will find the famous bamboo forest.
The trails along the river are generally easy, but you will find some fairly strenuous climbs between the river’s edge and the top of the bluffs. The Indian Creek parking lot is at the top of the bluffs, so you will be working your way down to the river from there.
The Whitewater Creek parking lot is on the river. You can go on short hikes along the river from here without much climbing, but you can also access the entire trail system if you like. The Indian Creek parking lot can get crazy on warm weekend days, so keep the White Water Creek parking lot in mind as an alternate.
Chastain Park is a 260+ acre park with something for everyone. The walking trails around the park include a 3.4 mile loop and a 2.7 mile loop, and they are usually busy with locals exercising, chatting, and enjoying the neighborhood. The trails and the Chastain Park playground are just the beginning of the activities at the park.
Northside Youth Organization (NYO) operates basketball, baseball, softball, and football leagues at the park. The Chastain Park Tennis Center offers individual and league play. The North Fulton Golf Course is a public course that occupies much of the park. Chastain Arts Center provides classes, summer camps, and gallery space to Buckhead’s aspiring artists.
Chastain Horse Park is a unique community resource. The horse park offers horse boarding, riding lessons, and summer camps. Therapeutic riding and Hippotherapy programs provide multiple equine-assisted activities for a variety of physical and speech-pathology therapy.
Spring is the beginning of the concert series at Chastain Park Amphitheater. Music lovers are treated to 40-45 concerts between April and October each year.
PATH400 has quickly become an integral part of Buckhead’s daily life. The path is a great way to get some exercise and explore the community without sitting in traffic. You’ll find lots of art installations along the path, and you will be treated to unique skyline views and serene wooded sections along the way.
The current route of PATH400 begins at Peidmont Rd. and Adina Dr. at the south end, and follows GA400 to Wieuca Rd. The southern end includes an easy connection to the South Fork Trail at the Confluence Bridge, and a future connection to the Atlanta Beltline at Piedmont Rd. The next phase of the Path will continue north from Wieuca to Mountain Way Common, and then continue north to meet the Sandy Springs path system.
The newest section of PATH400 stretches from Miami Circle to the Gordon Bynum Pedestrian Bridge at Lenox Square. This section features a large mural by local artist, Jonesy, and a wetland area that is home to wildlife that you would probably not expect to see along GA400! If you haven’t explored PATH400 in a while, you will probably be pleasantly surprised when you get out on the path this spring.
If soaking up the springtime sunshine next to a picturesque duck pond is more your speed, then the Duck Pond is for you. This serene 7.5 acre park is nestled within the Peachtree Heights East neighborhood, just a few blocks from Peachtree Road. Bring a picnic lunch and some good friends for the best results.
The pond is definitely the main attraction of the park. The park is named for the distinct Muscovy Ducks who inhabit the pond, and you will find Canadian geese and other visiting ducks depending on what time of year you visit. Look for turtles sunning themselves on sunny days as well. The meandering path around the pond provides a nice walk, as well as access to the numerous fields that are perfect for picnicking. The flock of ducks that lives in the park has seen reduced numbers over the past few years. A few concerned residents informed us that visitors feeding the ducks inappropriate food (like bread) has been detrimental to the flock. Peachtree Heights East residents are happy that visitors love their little park, but they ask that you respect the rules when you visit. That means no fishing, no grilling, and please don’t feed the ducks.
Nearly eight years have passed since an incurable killer of a beloved garden plant was first found in Georgia, lurking in a Buckhead lawn. Now boxwood blight has spread to devastate historic gardens and local landscapes across the country, while science is starting to catch up to the tricks of the fungal infection behind it.
Chris Hastings, owner of the Chamblee-based tree care firm Arbormedics, has been battling the blight in Buckhead gardens from Day One. He summed up the current state of affairs: “Is it bad? Yes. Has it gotten worse? Yes. Is it now commonplace on almost every street in Buckhead? Yes.”
However, Hastings adds, it also has not wiped out the plants as was originally feared. “But over all that time… it comes in waves,” he says, noting a particular blight-battling hint in its link to rainfall and moisture. “And really we’re still trying to figure out, what are those key moments? Because it’s not always as clear as you would expect.”
“The boxwood is such a beloved plant. It’s the aristocrat of the Southern garden.”
Chris Hastings, owner, Arbormedics
Jean Williams-Woodward is a University of Georgia Extension plant pathologist who was on the team that first identified the blight on boxwoods on that Buckhead property back in 2014. She says that “we’re still finding out things about this disease.”
The future she sees taking shape — much like the famously sculpture-friendly boxwood itself — is one where improved practices, disease-resistant breeds and a shift to other types of landscape plants will contain the blight.
Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) is a type of small-leafed, evergreen plant native to Asia that for centuries has been popular nearly worldwide as an ornamental. In tree form, it makes for stately, pillar-like entrance ornaments. It also takes well to being shaped with trimmers and is hugely popular for rectangular hedges — which is how the plant got the “box” name. The English and American varieties are wildly popular cornerstones of the traditional Southern aristocratic garden.
“In the South… it’s a plant that tugs on your heart,” says Williams-Woodward. And on your purse-strings, too — for nurseries and landscapers, “It’s a huge economic impact.”
“The boxwood is such a beloved plant. It’s the aristocrat of the Southern garden,” said Hastings, adding that’s why homeowners are willing to battle the blight instead of just getting replacement plants. “It’s been used for hundreds of years here. It’s been tied in people’s minds and their sensibilities to what a gorgeous Southern garden looks like. So it’s very hard to contemplate having a holly instead.”
This pretty picture started going bad with the original discovery of boxwood blight in the United Kingdom in the 1990s. An American infection was just a matter of time, and in 2011, the first U.S. cases were found in Connecticut and North Carolina nurseries. A Virginia nursery was the likely source of infected plants that led to that first known Georgia case in Buckhead in July 2014, on a private property that the experts won’t publicly identify for privacy reasons. The blight may well have been elsewhere in Georgia already.
The blight has continued to spread around the country and has become a major pest in historic gardens. Colonial Williamsburg, the famous historic area in Virginia, has been battling the blight for over five years in its collection of more than 8,000 boxwoods, many dating back a century or more, according to media reports. In the past year, major boxwood culling was carried out at the historic homes of poet and author Carl Sandburg in North Carolina and 19th-century politician Henry Clay in Kentucky.
“I’ve seen very historic gardens where every single plant has been lost… They just look like bare stems,” said Williams-Woodward.
The blight is a species from a genus of plant-infecting fungi. It kills boxwoods by causing their leaves to die, and can infect the stems as well. The blight can also infect other plants in the same family, including pachysandra and sweet box, according to Williams-Woodward, but is often not so lethal to those species. Some varieties of boxwoods have a degree of resistance, but the beloved dwarf English and American cultivars are not among them.
The fungus spreads by sticky spores that spew off the plant into the environment. Once it infects a plant, there is no known cure.
Williams-Woodward says the fungus has probably been around for hundreds of years, but was less prone to kill boxwoods in their original native areas of today’s Asia and Turkey, where the climate is drier. Wetter conditions are among the factors that make the fungus thrive.
In the first decade of battling the U.S. blight, tactics have shifted along with research and field practice, and even now there is some disagreement among experts about how the fungus spreads and should be fought.
Hastings notes that the early U.S. discoveries were inside mid-Atlantic nurseries and greenhouses, with plants packed closely together. That led to some assumptions about how transmissible the fungus was and that the air might be a major transmission method for its spores.
“So I do think there was a little bit of a misunderstanding in the early days about how contagious it, how lethal it is,” said Hastings. “So a lot of the original reports that came out and still linger were like, ‘If you have boxwood blight on your property, tear them all up and run screaming for the hills.'”
Yet today, he says, some original boxwoods continue to survive on the original Buckhead property that was the first known to have the blight. He said a second Buckhead property where the blight was found in backyard plants at virtually the same time still has boxwoods, too, including some within 100 feet of those with the outbreak.
What everyone agrees on at the moment is that moisture is key to the blight’s spread and that the disease can be managed with multi-pronged tactics. The situation can be illustrated with imperfect analogies to more familiar human diseases. Think of the blight as a lethal version of athlete’s foot that, like that fungus, infects and spreads explosively in wet environments. And like the coronavirus behind COVID-19, experts can’t currently cure or eliminate the blight, but can contain and manage the disease through a combination of treatment, built-up resistances, avoidance and new, safer cultural practices.
The blight erupts when the weather is wet and temperatures are moderate, said Williams-Woodward. The symptoms may retreat in hotter and drier months, she said, giving plant-owners a false sense of relief while the incurable infection remains.
Water is also now believed to be one major way the fungus spreads, as splash-back from rain or irrigation droplets hits other nearby plants. “Spores produced [by the fungus] are very sticky and they cluster together,” said Williams-Woodward. “So this pathogen or disease is not something that blows around in the wind. It’s mostly water-splashed.”
Hastings agrees that water is a major factor, saying that the earlier wind-spreading explanation never matched what he saw in the field. “We do not see it marching through a garden,” he said, explaining that the blight is almost always paired with heavy moisture from the environment. He said he often finds it tied to a broken rain gutter or — especially in lawns of well-to-do Buckhead homeowners — irrigation systems that are overused when rainfall is perfectly adequate.
“Irrigation, irrigation, irrigation is the number one reason that people have [boxwood blight] problems in Buckhead,” he said. He won’t even take on a boxwood client who won’t properly manage an irrigation system.
“I think we will end up in some kind of combination of planting less-susceptible varieties, plus some cultural practices … So we can manage this disease.”
Jean Williams-Woodward, University of Georgia Extension plant pathologist
Research shows that animals and humans may also be carriers of the spores, says Williams-Woodward. Boxwoods “actually smell like cat pee,” she said, and so may attract cats and dogs to mark them, resulting in spores getting on their fur to be spread to other plants. She said she saw one garden where boxwoods were blighted at the same level as the cushion on a patio chair that a cat slept on. Squirrels, rabbits and turkeys are other suspected spreaders.
Landscape workers may also spread the spores on their hands and equipment, Williams-Woodward said. She is currently conducting experiments on easy ways for landscapers to disinfect their gear before traveling to another property. Regular Lysol spray is looking highly effective, she said.
Hastings doesn’t buy it. He says animals and humans pale in comparison to water and another form of Buckhead lawn epidemic — the use of high-powered leaf-blowers that could blast spores all over surrounding properties. “I don’t think we need to be caging our cats and spraying down our landscapers,” he said.
What about spraying the plants themselves? After all, you can knock out athlete’s foot pretty fast with a can of fungicide from the drug store. Turns out it’s not that simple for boxwood blight, and Hastings and Williams-Woodward agree it’s no main solution.
There are fungicide sprays that can effectively reduce blight symptoms in a plant, said Williams-Woodward. But it requires regularly repeated application that few landscapers or arborists will perform, and that can be cost-prohibitive and raises issues of environmental pollution. Overuse of the sprays also could lead to the evolution of fungicide-resistance strains of the blight, she said.
Hastings said he’s one of the few local arborists who will spray for boxwood blight, but only as part of an integrated approach, as he also has environmental and best-practices concerns.
“Do we put every boxwood in town on a chemical crutch? Absolutely not,” he said, again emphasizing moisture as the main problem. “The key to getting ahead of this is thinking about your basement getting mold or mildew… You don’t run in there and start spraying Clorox everywhere. … You get rid of the water source.”
Another option is blight-resistant varieties of boxwood. Some already exist and others are being cultivated. But a note of caution on some of those, such as Japanese and Korean varieties: Williams-Woodward said they may be less able to catch and die from the blight, but can still carry and spread it, making them “sort of a Trojan horse.”
Her preferred tactic is to simply replace smaller boxwoods with a totally different species, like Japanese holly, and to prune the lower branches of larger ones to avoid the water-splash effect that may spread the spores.
Hastings says he’s hopeful the boxwood blight battle eventually will take a similar course as brown patch, a different fungal infection that affects fescue grass lawns. He said that landscaping veterans have told him about the brown patch plague in the 1980s, which coincided with a boom in lawn irrigation systems. Initially, he says, there was similar advice to landscapers about attempting to disinfect mower blades and the like. Today, he said, brown patch is manageable in a coordinated program of lawn management techniques that continues to allow fescue to be planted.
Williams-Woodward also looks to a future of containment and management. She said research continues on exactly how the blight spreads, the environmental conditions that favor it, how its biology works, and arborist techniques. “I think we will end up in some kind of combination of planting less-susceptible varieties, plus some cultural practices … So we can manage this disease,” she said.
For more details about boxwood blight, see the websites of the UGA Extension and the Georgia Department of Agriculture.
From Elton John to Usher, many well-known musical artists already call Buckhead home. A recent home purchase by a management company with direct ties to Mariah Carey means that another big star may be coming to town!
The property off of Davis Drive is technically just across the line in the Sandy Springs – ITP neighborhood. With the ongoing movement to shift city boundaries around, it might make sense to annex the artist behind the all-time greatest rendition of “All I want for Christmas” and garner a few more votes. The 1992-built home is a traditional Georgian-style with a grand columned entrance and over 16,000 square feet of living space. The gated 4.2-acre hilltop property features a guest house, pool, and tennis court.
The home sold off-market on November 23, 2021 for $5,650,000 to The Mirage Real Estate Trust, with Lester Knispel signing as trustee. Lester Knispel is one of the top business managers to stars such as Shaquille O’Neal, the Kardashians, Sylvester Stallone, and more.
Mariah Carey is the CEO of Mirage Entertainment Inc, which has an office on Ventura Boulevard, in Woodland Hills, CA. This is the same mailing address listed on the deed transfer in Fulton County for the similarly-named Mirage Real Estate Trust, the buyer of the property on Davis Drive.
We reached out to reps for Carey and Knispel to confirm her purchase and they have not provided comment. Mariah Carey’s unbelievable vocal skills have helped make her the 2nd best-selling female artist of all time, only Madonna has sold more albums. Carey has reportedly been living in a Beverly Hills home rented from a Saudi royal since 2018. She also owns a triplex in NYC. Welcome to the neighborhood MC! You will love it here.
Mariah Carey photo by REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni