The state of Georgia has a rich garden legacy, which dates from the 1500s when Spanish missionaries on the coast cultivated the former fields of the Yemassee Indians. Today, the past is illustrated through the states nearly two hundred private historic gardens. Gardens have proven very popular as a tourist destination, drawing millions of visitors each year. In the Southeast, historic garden tours are a well established means of raising funds for garden restoration projects, while positively impacting the communities that host them. Georgia has both the gardens and the resources necessary to develop a statewide historic garden tour, the proceeds of which would be awarded as grants for garden restoration and preservation projects. A state tour would increase awareness of Georgias unique garden history, increase garden restoratio n efforts, and enhance local economies throughout the state.