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Charleston homes and gardens - Historic Downtown Charleston South Carolina
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Charleston SC Gardens
The gardens of homes and national treasures in downtown Charleston
and beyond...
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CHARLESTON GARDENS Charleston gardens
have been internationally-renowned since the 1700's, when the
world discovered a thriving paradise in the area's rich soil,
plentiful creeks and rivers, and sunny, sub-tropical climate.
Famed 18th century European botanists Mark Catesby, Carolus
Linnaeus and Andre Michaux were among those who came to the city
to help plant the seeds of this country's blossoming natural
identity, as the camellia, azalea, tea olive and crepe myrtle are
some of the plants whose American roots can be traced directly to
Charleston. Learn about Charleston's famous churches and architecture peak inside some interiors of
Charleston's finest homes during the Charleston tour of homes.
Exotic blooms and
fragrant trees that lived in obscurity in remote areas of the
world flourished with new-found fame in Charleston, most notably
the flowering evergreen from China renamed Gardenia in 1754 for
Charleston naturalist Alexander Garden, the Noisette Rose
introduced from France by Charleston immigrant Philippe Noisette,
and the unusual fire plant brought home by U.S. ambassador to
Mexico and Charleston resident Joel Poinsett, for whom the new
name Poinsettia has become an American classic.
Plan on visiting Charleston in 2016-2017!
Preservation Society of Charleston: Annual Fall Tours of Homes and Gardens, October 6 – 30, 2016
Thursdays, Fridays,Saturdays, and Sundays. This five
week event is possible
only as a result of the generosity of owners of historic
properties, loyal Society members, and dedicated volunteers.
Please join us as we share the unique heritage of this National
Historic Landmark city with you. Tickets are $45 and a
special three day weekend rate of $120. Call for more
information (843) 722-4630.
Historic Charleston Foundation - Festival of
Houses and Gardens - Festival of Houses and Gardens - 70th Annual Festival of Houses and Gardens March 16 through April 22, 2017 . The festival takes place during Charleston's peak bloom time.
These tours provide a rare opportunity for guests to go inside the
private houses and gardens of some of America’s most beautiful
historic residences, dating to the 18th century. For
more information, contact the Ticket Office at 843-722-3405.
Offered each Thursday of the Festival 2017- Glorious Gardens - March 16th, March 23rd, March 30th, April 6th, April 13th
and April 20th beginning at 2 p.m.
Need a knowledgeable guide?
Wander through colorful gardens, linger inside historic
structures, marvel at the touch of a Civil War cannon, and
discover the intriguing stories of the people and events that
shaped them - the very best of Charleston from the citys
acclaimed local author, historian and storyteller Michael Trouche
Call
843-478-4718 for reservations or visit CharlestonFootprints.com to
find out more.
Charleston was
considered such a prosperous growing area that during colonial
times, parts of downtown were planted in fruit orchards and rice
fields, and although long replaced by houses and gardens, their
legacy remains in
downtown Orange Street, where a lush citrus
grove once stood, as well as the historic West Point rice mill,
part of today's city marina complex.
The oldest estate
garden in the Western Hemisphere is just outside the city at famed
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens along U.S. highway 61,where
former rice fields were converted into a florid landscape of
gardens, reflecting ponds and arched walking bridges that today
offer the public some of the most dazzling hues of azaleas
anywhere. Nearby Middleton Place is
another historic plantation garden open for public viewing,
featuring terraced grounds created in the 1740's to show off
manicured flowering galleries.
Hampton Park, in
the northwestern section of the city, is Charleston's largest, and
encourages the eyes and feet to roam its acres of colorful trees
and flowers. Initially a horse racing track in the 1790's, the
park was an outdoor pen for Union prisoners during the Civil War
and, in 1901, home to a World's Fair with an elaborate
group of temporary white palaces known as "The Ivory City".
(find out more about the Ivory City featured in our newsletter Summer
2007) The
fair's sunken reflecting pond is all that remains of the
construction, which has given way to spacious flower beds that
include the Noisette Study Garden reserved for unusual species of
roses.
The garden tour
is a cherished tradition in
downtown Charleston as well, as the
stunning spectacle of Spring and Fall flowers was the city's
greatest tourist attraction long before harbor cruises, beach
vacations and ghost walks. For the past 61+ years, the Historic
Charleston Foundation as conducted its annual Festival of Houses
and Gardens during the peak blooming season of March and April,
offering guests the rare opportunity to wander the private
residential interiors and gardens of more than one hundred
distinctive and historic downtown homes. Native varieties
flowering in Spring include dogwood, redbud, and fringe trees, as
well as azalea, yellow jessamine, and bignonia. For 31 years, the
Preservation Society of Charleston has held its annual Tour of
Homes and Gardens during the Fall bloom, when tea olive, camellia,
and gingko show their colors.
Any time of year
along any Charleston street is a good vantage point for a colorful
experience. House after house on each block throughout downtown
residential neighborhoods seems to spill over with blooms and
petals - on front lawns, in window boxes, behind wrought iron
gates, along driveway borders and around courtyards and fountains.
Summer blooms include magnolia, althea, and hydrangea, while
Winter brings camellia, loquat, and daphne, and the price for
lingering to enjoy them is no more than a casual stroll.
A number of
public and private places around the old city have been planted
specifically to encourage the pedestrian enjoyment of Charleston's
garden tradition. Washington Square at Meeting and Broad Street is
one of many lush green spaces in the midst of the city, and
attracts artists throughout the year who favor its surrounding
scene of bright colors and historic buildings. Colonial Lake
between Rutledge and Ashley avenues was once a mill pond for rice
and lumber mills many years ago, but today provides a haven for
ducks, geese and pelicans who enjoy its perimeter of live oaks and
oleanders. White Point Gardens and its approaches along East
Battery and Murray Boulevard at the southern tip of the peninsula
facing Charleston harbor served as gun batteries during the Civil
War, but what is today collectively-known by local residents as
"The Battery" offers perhaps the finest views on the Atlantic
Coast, with rows of brimming azaleas and oleanders, as well as
towering oak trees covered with Spanish moss. The
Calhoun Mansion
on Meeting Street and the Pineapple Gates house on Legare Street
are among the many notable private homes that nonetheless welcome
views from the sidewalk into highly-visible and
incredibly-colorful fountain gardens.
Find out about the
Charleston architecture and some of the most notable homes in
the city. Also, brush up on
Charleston
History.
Discover more about the
Interiors of Charleston's finest homes.
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