Plantations and Charleston History
PLANTATIONS ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF CHARLESTON HISTORY. The early
landowners wanted to put the rich land to good use. Rice was the first
money crop and with the help of slaves the landowners were able to
develop rice as a crop. Once the landowners became wealthy because of
rice they then established wonderful gardens on their property.
Click here for more info
Romantic Gardens
THE GARDENS AT MAGNOLIA PLANTATION ARE ROMANTIC GARDENS. A romantic
garden is a different concept. It came into play right after the Civil
War, during the industrialization move. Before that time most gardens
were very formed and structured, almost like soldiers lined up. During
the Romantic Movement gardens became much more of an escape from the
every day doldrum of the regular world. They threw structure to the
wind. These gardens were designed to be enjoyable, they were intended
as a surprise where every new turn provided a new view or look and the
paths were often overgrown.
Click here for more info
Flowerdale
THE FIRST GARDEN IS CALLED FLOWERDALE. It is probably the oldest
un-restored garden in America. It dates back to the 1680's. When
looking at the structure of this garden it is apparent that it predates
the romantic era. This is more of a French formal garden and was a
favorite spot of Ann Fox Drayton the original mistress of the
Plantation. It is planted with Antirrhinum 'Snapdragon' thus a formal
Snapdragon garden. The cherubs were added in the mid 19th century when
statuary of that type would have become prevalent.
Click here for more info
Camellia Garden
THE GUYS NEXT VISIT THE CAMELLIA JAPONICA GARDEN with Camellias in full
bloom. This is a winter garden. Many don't realize that Charleston was
a wintertime garden destination. People would come down from the North
in the winter to enjoy flowers not available in the north. This garden
has several hundred varieties of Camellias. Camellia sasanqua is one,
but they have Indica Azaleas as well and they have a huge collection of
Magnolias. But, Magnolia Plantation is famous for its' Camellias. These
bloom from September up to March providing wonderful color in the dead
of winter when everything else is dull. They have several hundred
varieties of the ancient Camellias, the pre-1900 varieties.
Click here for more info
Audubon Swamp
THE NEXT STOP IS THE AUDUBON SWAMP. This is 60 acres of swampland,
Tupelo swamp, that has a diverse collection of birds and species of
plant material. It is named after Mr. Audubon who came to Magnolia at
the invitation of one of the founders to paint one of the birds in one
of his famous prints.
Click here for more info
Romantic Garden
THE NEXT GARDEN HAS A MORE RELAXED FEEL and is indicative of the
romantic style garden discussed. Some have said that a romantic is an
extravagant liar. That's what a romantic garden does. It lures one into
the illusion that you're in the middle of something far away, far from
the humdrum of daily activity. Here the pathways are somewhat
overgrown. The Azaleas and Camellias in the background provide the feel
you're part of nature. It's alive, it's vibrant, it sometimes feels
un-maintainable but one gets the feeling that you're part of the
garden.
Click here for more info
Middleton Place
MIDDLETON PLACE WAS STARTED IN 1741 and is the first formal landscape
garden in America. This garden was started by Henry Middleton. When he
came here it was all natural, everything we see today was landscaped by
Henry. It took about 10 years to landscape the entire garden and the
terraces.
Click here for more info
Formal Landscape Bed
JOE AND SIDNEY START AT A FORMAL LANDSCAPE BED. This is how it would
have looked hundreds of years ago. The formality one sees today was
part of the formal layout of Middleton Place in the beginning. The
butterfly beds in this area, the main parterre, mimic the wings of a
butterfly. In this area they have Buxus microphylla japonica (Japanese
Boxwood) that outline the bed. Annuals and perennials are inside.
Sidney and his crew change them out 2 times a year. The change out is a
little tricky because they have annuals and perennials mixed together,
thus it's not the typical tilling process. They take the annuals out,
till those areas, mark the bed, then put in the new plants for the next
season.
Click here for more info
Ornamental Grasses
THE GUYS NEXT LOOK AT SOME BEAUTIFUL ORNAMENTAL GRASSSES. The
Hierochloe odorata (Sweetgrass) is stunning. It is what the Charleston
basket makers use in making Sweetgrass baskets. Joe thinks Ornamental
grasses are under utilized across America as a landscape addition. They
have many functional uses. For example along a waterway they help
retain soil, they're a windbreak in other cases. When the wind hits
them they provide a wonderful wispy look and when the light hits it is
stunning. There is no replacement for ornamental grasses in bloom.
Click here for more info
Azalea Hillside
THE NEXT AREA IS A HILLSIDE COVERED IN AZALEAS. There are over 40,000
Azaleas on the hillside and in the spring it's a fabulous spot. To add
to the effect there is a lake below. The reflection in the lake makes
the view doubly impressive. In addition to the Azaleas the hillside is
covered with flowering Dogwoods. These bloom about the same time as the
Wisteria that hang from the trees and add a bluish, purplish color. The
Rosa 'Cherry trees' line the edge of the lake, framing the spectacular
view.
Click here for more info
Sunken Octagonal Garden
HERE THEY HAVE A SUNKEN OCTAGONAL GARDEN. It's shaped in an octagon and
it's on the hypotenuse of the triangle, where all of the formal gardens
at Middleton Place are placed. Joe's high school geometry is a little
rusty but the hypotenuse is the longest angle of a right triangle and
all of these gardens are on that line. Henry Middleton designed it that
way in 1741 because that was the design he wanted to create at
Middleton Place. This area has a lot of turf.
Click here for more info
What Causes Fall Color
THE NEXT AREA VISITED IS THE REFLECTION POOL. It is surrounded by
Dogwood trees and Azaleas. The Dogwoods are beautiful in the fall
because the red leaves reflecting on the water are gorgeous. Many are
curious as to why leaves change color in the fall. The change is
dictated by the calendar but there are other factors. First, as the the
nights become longer and the days shorter, the energy in the tree
shifts down into the roots. In that process the chlorophyll production
shuts down. There are pigments in the leaves that are present all year
but now that the chlorophyll has gone away those pigments come through.
The best fall color comes about when there has been a warm, wet spring,
mild summer days, then in the fall bright sunny days with cool nights,
with temperatures remaining above freezing. When all those factors come
together, one has beautiful fall colors.
Click here for more info
LINKS:
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens
Middleton Place Gardens
The Inn At Middleton Place
Complete transcript of the show.
In gardening much has changed yet much has remained the same since the
1700's. To learn more about this, Garden Smart visits 2 plantations in
Charleston, South Carolina. These exquisite gardens have endured and
flourished for over 200 hundred years.
Kay Myers introduces Charleston. Kay is a native and loves to take her
friends on Charleston tours. And, every time she does she finds
something different, something interesting. Charleston is known for
it's history. For example, if one stands on the Battery of Charleston,
in front of all the magnificent mansions, one can look out and see Fort
Sumter. That is where the first shots of the Civil War took place. From
that same vantage point by then looking to the left one sees Fort
Moultrie. That's where a pivotal battle in the Revolutionary War took
place. As well, Charleston has magnificent homes open to the public and
there are many churches with historical significance. Charleston has
gone through earthquakes, hurricanes and wars and yet it has survived.
In spite of all the downfalls Charleston has endured and today has a
quaint, wonderful culture. Because of this, today it is one of the top
3 cities in the country to visit.
PLANTATIONS ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF CHARLESTON HISTORY. The early
landowners wanted to put the rich land to good use. Rice was the first
money crop and with the help of slaves the landowners were able to
develop rice as a crop. Once the landowners became wealthy because of
rice they then established wonderful gardens on their property. Kay and
Joe are presently at Magnolia Plantation and gardens. These gardens
have a long and interesting history. They are now open to the public
and millions of people from around the world have visited. Just up the
road is Middleton Place. That is where the first landscaped gardens in
America were established in the 1700's. Both plantations are a treasure
and offer a unique look into the past.
Joe starts at Magnolia Plantation where he visits with Tom Johnson. Tom
is one of the top Camellia experts in the country and the Director of
Horticulture at Magnolia Gardens. Tom feels he's one of the luckiest
people in the world. He's had 4 jobs in his entire life. Out of college
he went to work for a landscape company in Atlanta, where he worked on
the Carter Presidential Center. After 2 years President Carter offered
Tom the job as Director of Horticulture of the Carter Center and Tom
then spent 15 years developing and managing the gardens for President
Carter. He then decided to get a real job, moved further south, and
took the job as the Horticulturist for the America Camellia Society
where he stayed for the next 7 years. About 1 and 1/2 years ago Drayton
Hastie, one of the owners of Magnolia Plantation offered Tom the job of
Director of Horticulture at Magnolia Plantation. Tom accepted and has
now been here 8 months. It's a great job.
Top
THE GARDENS AT MAGNOLIA PLANTATION ARE ROMANTIC GARDENS. A romantic
garden is a different concept. It came into play right after the Civil
War, during the industrialization move. Before that time most gardens
were very formed and structured, almost like soldiers lined up. During
the Romantic Movement gardens became much more of an escape from the
every day doldrum of the regular world. They threw structure to the
wind. These gardens were designed to be enjoyable, they were intended
as a surprise where every new turn provided a new view or look and the
paths were often overgrown. At Magnolia one is embraced by the love,
the beauty and the lore that is Magnolia allowing one to understand why
this type of gardening scheme was and is so exciting and so vibrant.
Joe and Tom start the tour. They first encounter a Quercus Virginiana
'Drayton' Oak tree. This was planted in 1680 by Thomas Drayton when he
first moved to the plantation. Drayton Hastie Sr. remembered playing
under this tree as a child and when he passed away he asked that his
ashes be put in this tree. Thus his grandson, in 2002, put his ashes in
the tree so he would be with Magnolia forever. The spot the ashes are
placed in the tree is visible from the ground. And, it is a magnificent
tree.
Top
THE FIRST GARDEN IS CALLED FLOWERDALE. It is probably the oldest
un-restored garden in America. It dates back to the 1680's. When
looking at the structure of this garden it is apparent that it predates
the romantic era. This is more of a French formal garden and was a
favorite spot of Ann Fox Drayton the original mistress of the
Plantation. It is planted with Antirrhinum 'Snapdragon' thus a formal
Snapdragon garden. The cherubs were added in the mid 19th century when
statuary of that type would have become prevalent. Then in the 1840's
when Camellias became popular they too were added. As were the
Rhododendron indicum (Azalea) which are located on the side of the
garden. Magnolia Plantation was the first garden in the south to plant
Azaleas outside. Prior to that they were grown in conservatories. They
would have been brought into the country around the Boston area, then
grown in conservatories. Azaleas lend themselves well to putting garden
rooms together because they are big and tend to isolate different areas
of the garden. The clipped Boxwoods, Buxus sempervirens, also add an
element of isolation. Here the Snapdragons are planted inside the
Boxwoods. In the early days they used geometric designs. This look
dates to the 1680's and provides a feel for what a formal French garden
looked like in the 1600's.
Top
THE GUYS NEXT VISIT THE CAMELLIA JAPONICA GARDEN with Camellias in full
bloom. This is a winter garden. Many don't realize that Charleston was
a wintertime garden destination. People would come down from the North
in the winter to enjoy flowers not available in the north. This garden
has several hundred varieties of Camellias. Camellia sasanqua is one,
but they have Indica Azaleas as well and they have a huge collection of
Magnolias. But, Magnolia Plantation is famous for its' Camellias. These
bloom from September up to March providing wonderful color in the dead
of winter when everything else is dull. They have several hundred
varieties of the ancient Camellias, the pre-1900 varieties. Currently,
Magnolia Plantation has set aside a lot of property and is traveling
the country locating ancient Camellias, propagating them, bringing them
back, archiving them and providing a home for them at Magnolia
Plantation so that people can see these wonderful Camellias that date
back to the 1800's. Many of these plants can no longer be seen in
American gardens.
Tom talks about the virtues of Camellias. As discussed, they grow in
the winter when nothing else is in bloom. They lend themselves well to
a Romantic garden because when you go around a corner where it might
have been dull, you all of a sudden have a bright red or white Camellia
which stands out beautifully.
Many don't realize that the Camellia is predominately a man's flower.
More men grow Camellias than do women. Tom thinks that's because
Camellias are easy to grow, they're idiot proof and he thinks men don't
really like to be challenged. We think he's kidding but we're not sure.
Top
THE NEXT STOP IS THE AUDUBON SWAMP. This is 60 acres of swampland,
Tupelo swamp, that has a diverse collection of birds and species of
plant material. It is named after Mr. Audubon who came to Magnolia at
the invitation of one of the founders to paint one of the birds in one
of his famous prints.
The area looks to Joe like a painting. The vista is filled with
Helianthus angustifolius (Swamp Sunflower). Interestingly it has
survived by accident. They removed a lot of invasive plants and what
that did was create mats of floating debris. The Sunflowers seeded
themselves on top of the mats and now there is a big, wonderful view
that changes every day because the mats create different patterns every
day as they float around. Lemna minut (Least Duckweed) is floating in
the water as well. It is one of the favorite foods for some of the
local ducks. They'll actually eat about 70% of the Duckweed. Along with
the ducks there are about 200 species of birds. The Boy Scouts of
America in the Coastal Carolina Region have adopted this as a project
which is an invaluable tool and helps teach them to become stewards of
the environment for the next generation.
Top
THE NEXT GARDEN HAS A MORE RELAXED FEEL and is indicative of the
romantic style garden discussed. Some have said that a romantic is an
extravagant liar. That's what a romantic garden does. It lures one into
the illusion that you're in the middle of something far away, far from
the humdrum of daily activity. Here the pathways are somewhat
overgrown. The Azaleas and Camellias in the background provide the feel
you're part of nature. It's alive, it's vibrant, it sometimes feels
un-maintainable but one gets the feeling that you're part of the
garden. It's a very relaxing feel.
And, that has been the sense that Joe got with this visit. It was
relaxing, a beautiful place and it was a pleasure to spend time with
Tom. Thanks Tom, Magnolia Plantation is a magical spot.
Down the road from Magnolia Plantation is Middleton Place, a large and
beautiful garden and certainly historic. Sidney Frazier is the Vice
President of Horticulture and in charge, along with a small staff, of
keeping it looking nice.
Top
Sidney provides some background information. MIDDLETON PLACE WAS
STARTED IN 1741 and is the first formal landscape garden in America.
This garden was started by Henry Middleton. When he came here it was
all natural, everything we see today was landscaped by Henry. It took
about 10 years to landscape the entire garden and the terraces. The
terraces are unique. Normally in the low country the ground is flat.
Today they have about 65 acres of formal landscape. To maintain this
property Sidney has a crew of 10 full time gardeners plus many others
that come in to prune larger trees and perform other tasks.
Sidney started at Middleton in 1974. He came here to work during the
summer but was captivated with the look of the place. He couldn't
believe what he was seeing and was excited that he could have the
opportunity to work in such a beautiful setting. He then went to a
local technical school, acquired the knowledge necessary to do this
work and has now been here 33 years working his way up through the
ranks.
Top
JOE AND SIDNEY START AT A FORMAL LANDSCAPE BED. This is how it would
have looked hundreds of years ago. The formality one sees today was
part of the formal layout of Middleton Place in the beginning. The
butterfly beds in this area, the main parterre, mimic the wings of a
butterfly. In this area they have Buxus microphylla japonica (Japanese
Boxwood) that outline the bed. Annuals and perennials are inside.
Sidney and his crew change them out 2 times a year. The change out is a
little tricky because they have annuals and perennials mixed together,
thus it's not the typical tilling process. They take the annuals out,
till those areas, mark the bed, then put in the new plants for the next
season. The plants in this area include Ageratum houstonianum. These
are wonderful plants, very heat tolerant which is important here. They
have Lantana, another heat tolerant plant and they have a small, low
growing Ruella and the taller Ruella in the center. They try to use
plants within each area that require the same amount of water.
The partiers are broken up with flowerbeds and turf and with a path.
One of the beds, the next we visit, is long and linear. This is the
type setting one would see in England and France. Again, Ageratum is
planted in this bed. They planted it in the middle of the bed,
surrounded by Boxwoods, because it provides height and provides the
formality they desired. This long bed draws ones eye along and at the
end it is punctuated with some taller trees. Juniperus virginiana
'Brodie' works well, they hold their shape, they don't need to trim
them, they're disease resistant, drought resistant and are perfect for
the sandy soil. The Ageratum's are pulled out at the end of the season,
normally in November, when they put in Viola x wittrockiana (Pansies).
The Pansies take them into the spring when they then have a mixture of
Tulipa.
Top
THE GUYS NEXT LOOK AT SOME BEAUTIFUL ORNAMENTAL GRASSSES. The
Hierochloe odorata (Sweetgrass) is stunning. It is what the Charleston
basket makers use in making Sweetgrass baskets. Joe thinks Ornamental
grasses are under utilized across America as a landscape addition. They
have many functional uses. For example along a waterway they help
retain soil, they're a windbreak in other cases. When the wind hits
them they provide a wonderful wispy look and when the light hits it is
stunning. There is no replacement for ornamental grasses in bloom.
Sidney feels one of the best times to view sweetgrass is early in the
morning when the dew is still visible. It looks like a cloud floating.
Top
THE NEXT AREA IS A HILLSIDE COVERED IN AZALEAS. There are over 40,000
Azaleas on the hillside and in the spring it's a fabulous spot. To add
to the effect there is a lake below. The reflection in the lake makes
the view doubly impressive. In addition to the Azaleas the hillside is
covered with flowering Dogwoods. These bloom about the same time as the
Wisteria that hang from the trees and add a bluish, purplish color. The
Rosa 'Cherry trees' line the edge of the lake, framing the spectacular
view.
Sidney offers his pruning tips for Azaleas. Many people prune Azaleas
too early or too late. One should prune azaleas right after the plant
blooms. That is the safest time to prune. Once through pruning and dead
wooding it's an excellent time to fertilize. Basically, all the work on
azaleas can be done at one time.
Top
Joe and Sidney visit another garden. This view is more understated than
the last but stunning. Throughout Middleton Place there are beautiful
sites, the parterres, the Camellia allays, all the gardens at Middleton
Place are beautiful. This formal garden is also beautiful but unique, a
different style. HERE THEY HAVE A SUNKEN OCTAGONAL GARDEN. It's shaped
in an octagon and it's on the hypotenuse of the triangle, where all of
the formal gardens at Middleton Place are placed. Joe's high school
geometry is a little rusty but the hypotenuse is the longest angle of a
right triangle and all of these gardens are on that line. Henry
Middleton designed it that way in 1741 because that was the design he
wanted to create at Middleton Place. This area has a lot of turf. It is
Stenotaphrum secundatum (St. Augustine). It's Charleston grass, a grass
that requires a lot of shade but because of the dampness of this
garden, because it's a sunken garden, this grass is thriving and
healthy. In early times this was a bowling green. The guys would bowl
here and the ladies would sit around on the outside terraces and watch
the game being played.
Top
THE NEXT AREA VISITED IS THE REFLECTION POOL. It is surrounded by
Dogwood trees and Azaleas. The Dogwoods are beautiful in the fall
because the red leaves reflecting on the water are gorgeous. Many are
curious as to why leaves change color in the fall. The change is
dictated by the calendar but there are other factors. First, as the the
nights become longer and the days shorter, the energy in the tree
shifts down into the roots. In that process the chlorophyll production
shuts down. There are pigments in the leaves that are present all year
but now that the chlorophyll has gone away those pigments come through.
The best fall color comes about when there has been a warm, wet spring,
mild summer days, then in the fall bright sunny days with cool nights,
with temperatures remaining above freezing. When all those factors come
together, one has beautiful fall colors.
And with that in place fall is a great time to be in the garden.
Particularly the garden at Middleton Place. Joe thanks Sidney for the
tour. This has been a great experience.
In this show we visited 2 historical Charleston, South Carolina
plantation gardens. Both were thriving businesses in their day. But we
also saw how important gardens were to their owners. Now thanks to the
preservation efforts of Tom Johnson and Sidney Frazier and many others
the plants popular back then are still around to be enjoyed today. And,
importantly available for our children to enjoy. These garden designs
were influenced by early European settlers. One was formal with
symmetry and balance, the other more romantic, relaxed and casual. Joe
likes the more relaxed style better but no matter which design you like
the choice should be reflective of your lifestyle and your preferences
because, importantly, there are no rules in gardening. Hopefully the
tips and ideas presented in this show were as helpful to you as they
were to Joe. We can learn a lot from the past. This show is a great
example of that.
Top
LINKS:
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens
Middleton Place Gardens
The Inn At Middleton Place
