Take a Virtual Tour of Charleston's Historic Gardens
After recently spending a few (blissful!) days in Charleston’s historic peninsula touring private homes and gardens, I can attest that gardening is a full-contact sport in the Holy City. From manicured formal gardens to rambling flower-lined paths, Charlestonians definitely know how to rock their green thumbs.
In addition to full gardens, flower-filled windowboxes were everywhere:
Formal gardens boast mounds of color and charming weather-worn statuary:
Charleston’s sub-tropical climate provides ideal conditions for South Carolina’s state tree, the Palmetto Palm, and camellias whose ruffly flowers are synonymous with the South:
Flowers also drape fences surrounding the city’s historic homes in color. Here a red trumpet vine overtakes an ancient cast-iron fence:
Creeping fig turns this home’s facade into a vertical garden. Not advisable for use on a wood exterior, these hardy vines do little damage when allowed to grow on brick or stone:
In Charleston, even small garden corners aren’t overlooked. Here, a homowner has trained a magnolia to espalier (or grow in a flat, compact shape) against a stuccoed wall:
Even in early spring, Charleston’s warm climate ensures a wide variety of blooms. In this informal garden, vibrant poppies spill over a pea-gravel path:
The Historic Charleston Foundation hosts private home and garden tours each spring. If you’re a history and design buff like me, they’re a can’t-miss.
![](http://hgtvhome.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/grdn/fullset/2013/7/29/0/2011-01-03-053126-2dbf35a60000.jpg.rend.hgtvcom.231.174.suffix/1452645629356.jpeg "Garden Swirl: A double lawn labyrinth serves as the centerpiece of our garden. For those times when the garden is having a "bad hair day" try diverting the eye in creative ways!")
