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Discover natural beauty from the Blue Ridge to the Lowcountry
Spring will soon arrive in South Carolina, and the season isn’t complete without a visit to some of the Palmetto State’s many magnificent gardens.
Blooms like azaleas, irises and dogwoods bring color to every corner of the state while lush greenery, shady pathways and flowing creeks showcase its natural beauty in countless ways.
South Carolina Botanical Garden
Spend the day at the South Carolina Botanical Garden, a 295-acre paradise home to more than 400 varieties of camellias in addition to magnolias, hollies, hydrangeas and more. The site is expected to reopen its popular Natural Heritage Garden in April 2014 and continue showcasing more than 1,000 varieties of native plants and trees in their natural habitats. The Botanical Garden also offers an official American Hosta Society Display Garden, 70-acre arboretum, butterfly garden and many other specialty gardens. Clemson University, www.clemson.edu/public/scbg.
Sumter’s Swan Lake
Sumter’s Swan Lake is home to one of the nation’s most impressive plantings of Japanese irises. The garden has been called a “lovely mistake” because its first blooms were the result of discarded bulbs that were originally intended for the owner’s yard. The park is also the only public park in the United States to feature all eight of the world’s swan types. The Sumter Iris Festival is a beloved tradition held every year in May. www.sumtersc.gov/swan-lake-iris-gardens.aspx
Hatcher Garden and Woodland Preserve
For a more undiscovered garden experience, visit Hatcher Garden and Woodland Preserve in Spartanburg, a managed greenspace in the heart of the city. The community-supported park is free to the public and operates solely on donated time and money. Although its major attractions are a butterfly garden and conifer collection, it also makes an ideal destination for a quiet stroll. Its annual Spring Plant Sale will be held April 18 – 19. www.hatchergarden.org
Edisto Memorial Gardens
Edisto Memorial Gardens in Orangeburg is also a stunning historical site, dating back to the 1920s and now housing more than 82 beds of roses. Its Orangeburg Festival of Roses, held every year in May, is one of the state’s top tourism events. www.festivalofroses.com
In Hartsville, Kalmia Gardens boasts the state’s tallest beech tree as well as rhododendrons, azaleas, dogwoods, camellias and the abundant kalmia mountain laurel. The historical 35-acre garden is home to a diverse variety of plants and animals due to unusual terrain that includes a 60-foot elevation drop. www.kalmiagardens.org
Gardens and historic sites in Charleston
Cypress Gardens, a highlight when visiting the Charleston area, is built around a freshwater bald cypress swamp. Swamp boat rides are a great way to view the garden’s landscapes while looking for alligators or turtles. There is also a butterfly house of blooming flowers, live butterflies and birds as well as numerous walking and hiking paths with a host of birds and wildlife. www.cypressgardens.info
Nearby on Charleston’s Ashley River sits Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site, where English settlers landed in 1670 and founded the first colony in the Carolinas. The site depicts life in Colonial times and includes more than 80 acres of English park gardens with a live oak alley. www.southcarolinaparks.com/ctl
In that same area along the Ashley River are some of Charleston’s most famous plantations. Middleton Place, Magnolia Plantation and Drayton Hall all have extensive gardens, which are particularly impressive during the spring.www.magnoliaplantation.com, www.draytonhall.org and www.middletonplace.org
For a unique garden visit, look to Mepkin Abbey, a community of Trappist monks on the site of a former plantation near Moncks Corner. Once the second home of publisher Henry Luce and his wife, Clare Boothe Luce, both the Mepkin Abbey Church and the lush and flowering Nancy Bryan Luce Gardens are available to guests. www.mepkinabbey.org
Azalea Park
In Summerville, the pride of the park offerings is Azalea Park, with stunning year-round views of azaleas and camellias. The park hosts many special events, including the three-day YMCA Flowertown Festival, consistently named a top event in the Southeast. http://www.flowertownfestival.org
Hopelands Gardens
The city of Aiken boasts Hopelands Gardens, an estate of lush curved pathways and natural wetlands. Its floating boardwalk is an ideal way to view plants, trees and a variety of marine life.www.visitaikensc.com/whattodo/detail/hopelands_gardens
Glencarirn Garden
Rock Hill’s Glencairn Garden continues to grow after its recent expansion. Newly completed additions include the Veterans Garden and a new tiered fountain. Glencairn hosts two great spring events — the all-volunteer Come See Me Festival April 3 – 12 and the garden-themed BloomFest May 17. www.comeseeme.org and www.rockhillrocks.com
The Asia Garden
The Asia Garden at Greenville’s Furman University is a hidden gem, featuring Japanese irises and pines, bog plants, rare bamboos, oriental cherry trees and many other flowering plantings. The Place of Peace, a former Buddhist temple, overlooks the garden and represents the university’s focus on sustainability. Nearby sits a replica of Henry David Thoreau’s cabin, setting a scene similar to that in which Walden was written.http://www2.furman.edu/Visitors/Visitors/Pages/default.aspx
The Wells Japanese Garden
The Wells Japanese Garden in downtown Newberry features a temple, tea house and traditional Japanese torii gate. Included on the National Register of Historic Places, the garden was designed by professional architect Fulmer Wells and brought to life with the additions of local plants and materials. www.visitnewberrysc.com/area-attractions/wells-japanese-garden
Tour South Carolina’s beautiful gardens, plantations and homes
Another way to see South Carolina’s beautiful gardens is Beaufort’s 58th annual Spring Home Tour, which includes historic homes and churches, Lowcountry plantations and gardens. This year’s event is March 28 – 29 and includes both walking and driving tours. www.sthelenas1712.org/index.php?page=spring-tours
One of the state’s most impressive garden experiences is at Brookgreen Gardens in Murrells Inlet, a 9,100 acre-spread of sculpture and wildlife gardens. Showcasing 2,000 plantings and 1,400 works of art, Brookgreen was recently named among the top 10 public gardens in the US by TripAdvisor members. The Spring Garden Festival is March 22 and the Plantacular Sale, a favorite event to shop plants grown in Brookgreen’s greenhouses, is April 12 – 13.www.brookgreen.org
Columbia’s Riverbanks Zoo and Garden sits on the Saluda River and is home to a fantastic walled botanical garden like no other in South Carolina. The 170-acre property also includes a native forest, hiking trails and beautiful views of historic landmarks. The Springtime at the Garden Festival is March 22. http://www.riverbanks.org
Garden enthusiasts seeking distinctive plant and seed varieties will enjoy Greenwood’s Park Seed Garden. Established in the early 1900s, the complex has nine acres of trial gardens and sells gardening supplies and tools. The South Carolina Festival of Flowers in June features several inspiring events in gardening, art, photography and more.www.parkseed.com and www.scfestivalofflowers.org/
South Carolina is just right for vacations, with 187 miles of Atlantic coastline, lake regions and coastal plain in the Midlands and deeply forested Blue Ridge Mountains in the upper west corner. Its moderate year-round temperatures attract millions who enjoy its natural resources and inspiring historical and cultural attractions as well as fine dining, charming small towns and world-renowned golf experiences.
For additional information regarding South Carolina's vast array of unique opportunities for enrichment, excitement and escape, as well as a free copy of our special downloadable/printable South Carolina Barbecue Trail Map, featuring more than 200 barbecue restaurants, please visit DiscoverSouthCarolina.com or SouthCarolinaParks.com.
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