WINTER IN CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA: PARKS, PLANTATIONS & GARDENS
By Jo Clark
ON BIG BLEND RADIO: It’s all about Parks, Plantations, and Gardens in Charleston, South Carolina, on this episode of Big Blend Radio’s JO GOES EVERYWHERE! Podcast with travel writer and photographer Jo Clark. Watch here in the YouTube player or download the episode on Podbean.
Hampton Plantation State Historic Site
On the way to Charleston from the Myrtle Beach area, you first come to Hampton just after you cross the Charleston County line. The original house was constructed in 1735. The most prominent exterior feature of the home is a temple front and eight Doric columns that support a carved Adamesque frieze and pediment gable. This feature is the first one of this type in the United States. It was completed in 1791 before George Washington visited and saved a 100-year-old live oak. You must visit Hampton and take the tour to hear the rest of this story.
The 300-acre park has a variety of historic structures, including a family cemetery. The park rangers and volunteers provide tours of the large house filled with interesting historical facts and family anecdotes. A walk through the woods will allow you to admire the camellias and brick walls surrounding the cemetery.
The last private owner of the property was Archibald Rutledge. Rutledge was the first poet laureate of South Carolina. He lived in the house until 1961 when he sold it and 500 acres to the state. Rutledge planted beautiful camellias and azaleas throughout the property during the 1930s.
Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site
This 80-acre garden at Charles Towne Landing holds camellias and azaleas, keeping the park in blooms from October until April. Fernandina Wearing owned the property, and it was a chicken farm for many years. She donated more than 600 acres to the state of South Carolina for the tri-centennial.
Charles Towne Landing has a 17th-century replica of a vessel that would have been used for transporting items between Charles Towne and the Barbados. There are also cannons, used to defend the Charleston Harbor. The Charles Towne Militia fires a replica 17th-century cannon, much like the English colonist’s citizen-soldiers who formed a militia to protect the colony.
The camellias are planted throughout the park, along the park’s seven miles of paved and unpaved trails. The park has 80 acres of gardens, filled with thousands of azaleas, camellias, and hundreds of years old oaks. The natural habitat Animal Forest permits visitors to view animals native to the early settlement of Charles Towne. The park has puma, red wolves, bobcats, buffalo, elk, and bears—oh, my!
Magnolia Plantation
At Magnolia Plantation, Rev. John Drayton became obsessed with camellias in the mid-1800s. He propagated the shrub and created America’s most extensive camellia collection before the Civil War. Drayton was making a “Garden of Eden” to please his wife and tempt her to stay at the Ashley River plantation instead of the townhouse in Charleston. It must have worked; before her death, she declared it her “most favorite place on earth.”
Between the 1840s and 1940s, Magnolia Plantation installed over 150 camellia cultivars for over 20,000 camellia plants.
Middleton Place
This 125-acre historic property is the home of America’s oldest landscaped garden, including some of the oldest camellias in America. In fact, in 1786, André Michaux, a French Botanist, gave four Camellia japonicas named “Reine des Fleurs” planted in Middleton’s garden. The beautiful “Queen of Flowers” continues to bloom each winter, 239 years later, in the Camellia Allée of Middleton.
Visitors will find the New Specimen Garden in a separate “new” section of the garden. This garden is planted with a maze of newer camellias from the 1940s. The historical gardens of Middleton hold more than 10,000 camellias, many over 200 years old.
While visiting Middleton, don’t miss your opportunity to eat in the restaurant on the grounds—and be sure to order the She Crab Soup. And the cornbread is delicious; you can skip dessert and have an extra piece of cornbread—it is that good.
Hampton Park
Hampton Park is tucked in the shadow of the Citadel. You will spot cadets on the fitness trail that circles the park or on benches visiting with friends. A lovely arched bridge, a fountain, and a lake at Hampton Park are surrounded by the plantings of an extensive garden.
Hampton is a free-to-visit city park and one of the largest in Charleston.Hampton has fantastic plantings of old roses, but the seasonal displays are the real attraction. No matter when you visit, the gardens will bloom, especially in winter when stunning Camellias beside the lake are in full bloom.
USEFUL LINKS TO PLAN YOUR CHARLESTON PARK ADVENTURE:
Parks & Gardens:
Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site
Charles Towne Landing Special Events Calendar
Charleston – One of America’s Most Beautiful Cities
Hampton Plantation State Historic Site
Middleton Place
Spend the Night: Places to stay in downtown Charleston abound. A few are located a comfortable walk from restaurants and shops.
Embassy Suites (Bordering Marion Square, and down the block from Wragg Square—this former Citadel Military College building is on the National Register of Historic Buildings)
Time for Food & Drink: Charleston has a plethora of restaurants and more than its fair share of wine bars. Some to seek out are:
Avondale Wine & Cheese Bar: Chocolate Salted Caramel Souffle, Crème Brulee
Hyman’s Seafood: Crowded and usually a line! Try Shrimp and Grits or their Carolina Delight appetizer. Don’t turn down the complimentary bowl of boiled peanuts!
Le Macaron French Pastries: Near Hyman’s—so save some room. They also have gelato, chocolates, beignets, and other pastries. But all you need to know is they have salted caramel macarons.
Magnolias: Their southern twist on egg rolls is amazing. They stuff the roll with chicken, Tasso ham, and collards.
Marina Variety Store Restaurant: A Marina view and delicious food
Middleton Place Restaurant: Seasonal Low Country foods
Stems & Skins – Fresh & Freaky Ferments: Around for about 10 years, they have special nights during the week (Vinyl night, Meatball night, Apertivo hour)
Other Fun Things To Do in Charleston:
Historic City Market, in operation since 1804–browse shops and booths and watch the ladies create sweetgrass baskets using Gullah techniques.
Jo Clark is a travel writer and photographer based on South Carolina’s Grand Strand. She has a thirst for knowledge, history, great food, and wine! She does her very best to live up to her podcast title and Instagram handle, “Jo Goes Everywhere!” Follow her there and on her Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/HaveGlassWillTravel/. She is the editor of http://www.RecipesTravelCulture.com
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