Sheldon Fleming, Executive Director, conceived the idea for the Gardens after the 1987 death of his beloved sister Kelly. Working with the soil was therapeutic for him in dealing with her loss and inspired his commitment to help others reconnect to nature and improve the quality of their life as a profound source of healing.
Sheldon enlisted the help of longtime family friend and neighbor, Michael J. Davis, who had previously co-founded an educational non-profit in Connecticut for high school youth. Another close family friend, Bettye Ludd, who had been an aide to former Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jackson as well as a fundraising and promotional expert, was also an instrumental force in the Garden’s origins. Wonderland Gardens as we know it today, was created in a three hour meeting in September 1994. Wonderland Gardens was chartered in April 1995 as a public garden. In May 1996, Wonderland Gardens was invited onto the old Mathis Dairy (see Mathis Dairy History).
Wonderland Gardens provides residents of metropolitan Atlanta, particularly South DeKalb, with an opportunity to improve the quality of their life by connecting with nature through hands-on education. Since the groundbreaking in June 1996, more than 300,000 volunteer hours have been logged. The volunteer groups that have worked at Wonderland Gardens include Hands on Atlanta, Outward Bound, Bridge Builders, Project Phoenix, Uplift Group Home, and many more non-profit organizations and corporate groups that support the Wonderland mission.
Mathis Dairy History
Mathis Dairy was a regionally known diary that produced the highest quality certified milk in the United States. After starting with 12 cows and 75 acres in 1916, the Mathis family land ownership grew to nearly 150 acres along Rainbow Drive in South DeKalb County. At its height, the waiting list for organizations and groups to take a dairy tour, milk Rosebud (cow), enjoy the petting zoo, and to take a picnic on the lake and pastureland was sixty days.
The Mathis family donated a portion of the Mathis Dairy property to DeKalb County that later became Exchange park and a subdivision stands on the land where the dairy where the lake and picnic area once existed. In spring 1995, the Mathis Dairy building and its remaining twenty undeveloped acres including the pastureland were sold to Kelly Jordan. Mr. Jordan began looking for partners who would help create and realize his dream of preserving a natural environment and green space. In May 1996, Wonderland Gardens was invited onto the old Mathis Dairy by Kelly Jordan. Today, DeKalb County Government owns the property and Wonderland Gardens provides a unique education and gardening experience for the community. In 2008, the construction of the Porter Sanford III Performing Arts Community Center was completed where the Mathis Dairy building once stood.