Voluptuous Vignettes WRITTEN BY Prissy Gravely Although Santa Barbara gardeners have experienced severe drought and water rations recently, they still enjoy some of the most lush and lovely gardens in America. The early morning fog, locally called “June Gloom,” rolls in from the chilly Pacific and blankets these tropical gardens with life-sustaining moisture. The results are breathtaking! …
Gardens
A Luscious Renewal
WRITTEN BY Blair FarrisPHOTOGRAPHY BY Terrance Antonio On a recent visit to Charleston, I happened upon a beautiful garden and couldn’t resist including it in this issue. The New Dawn roses in full bloom caught my eye as I took an early morning walk to the Battery. I was trying to muster the courage to knock on the front door and, to my surprise, the owner came out. She was lovely as she walked me through her garden. …
Green Space Make-Overs
Park ‘angels’ lead community effort WRITTEN BY Laura Thompson Charleston is known for its gorgeous, historic architecture and its meticulously manicured private gardens but the city’s public green spaces, due to budgetary constraints and seemingly indifference, have not been maintained with the same consistency and devotion. The Charleston Parks Conservancy—green-thumbed ‘angels’—is working to change that by reinvigorating Charleston’s 120 public parks and greenspaces, while engaging and …
Mixing Old and New
Transforming a Historic Garden WRITTEN BY Blair FarrisPHOTOGRAPHY BY Thien La and Terrance AntonioLANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE BY Wertimer & Associates James Cothran, author of Gardens of Historic Charleston, writes: “Charleston has a rich garden heritage dating from colonial times. In 1682, only two years after the city was established, English settlers were already securing plants from the old world for both practical and ornamental use.” Charleston’s gardens have evolved in the last 300 …