We have beautiful gardens on tour. Come spend the day strolling through private home gardens many that have never been seen by the public.
Sponsor: Velux
Admission: Free and open to the public
Committee: Sandy McCord, Lena Scott
The South Carolina Festival of Flowers is proud to present six beautiful garden tours this ear. Come spend the day strolling through private home gardens, many that have never seen seen by the public.
Ted and Carolyn Cantrell; 534 Circle Drive
When you tour this wonderfully open garden, you can tell that this carefully manicured landscape was well-planned and required a lot of laborious love. Even during the time they spent residing on the lake, the Cantrells went home to care for the garden. Now just about every waking hour is spent there. Carolyn grows most of her annuals from seed in the greenhouse Ted cleverly constructed from old windows. Ted is a craftsman and decorates with his birdhouses, feeders, and other things he has created. There is always plenty in bloom and a spacious vegetable garden to boot. You won’t want to miss out on this one!
Gerald and Betty Dorn; 234 Elliott Street
This year we have a special treat … a sculpture garden! Gerald Dorn, talented wood sculptor, and his wife, Betty, have created an outdoor art gallery at 234 Elliott Street. The “gallery” is home to many of Gerald’s sculptures which have been cast in bronze for outdoor display among a beautiful selection of annuals and perennials. He may even have a few of the originals on display during this tour. Each sculpture has a story that Gerald will readily relay to you. The pond was dug by Gerald himself in the primitive fashion of using a shovel (imagine that!) and has been surrounded by a brick border. Don’t bother with a fishing rod. These huge Koi are beautiful and have their own personalities and stories.
Berely and Linda Dye; 1109 Brannon Street
Right smack dab in the middle of town, you’ll find one of the most unique gardens you’ve ever seen. Berely has imagination plus talent and combines both with whatever plantings, containers, and whatever other items he comes across to invent a totally inventive landscape. Berely’s vision can turn a simple piece of junk into a beautiful work of yard art. Even the garden walls are decorated with plantings in unusual containers. From the comfortable seat under the arbor in the front yard all the way through the back is a surprise in every nook and cranny found there. This is a must see work of art!
Jack and Diane Lenning; 405 Orchard Drive
This small garden is packed full of interest! An impressive fresh-water pond is the focal point of the front of the house, with 2 small waterfalls and a fountain cascading from a Classical style statue. The pool is nestled in a variety of grasses and flowering plants which provide a transition to the beds of perennials that include sunloving Purple Coneflowers, Rudbeckia, and Daylilies, as well as an interesting selection of shade lovers in appropriate spots. The lower level is highlighted by a collection of container plantings accented by multi-colored river rock and richly hued and imaginative pots. And keep your eye out for a surprise here and there in this compact but interesting garden!
Nelson and Hattie Smith; 407 Powers Avenue
Who would ever guess such a beautifully interesting landscape would be found just a couple of blocks off Main Street? Nelson Smith has created outdoor rooms with a lot of talent, hard work, and a wide variety of plantings. His imaginative mix of furnishings and the plants and trees that thrive in their midst is a setting well worth your visit. Nelson is particularly fond of ornamental trees and water features. All of your senses will be delighted as you amble along the paths or just stop to rest along the way and enjoy the peace in one of the “rooms” found in this outdoor home.
Preston and Barbara Sprouse; 122 Sherard Road
Just a couple of miles away from town, Preston and Barbara Sprouse have developed a garden paradise. The front yard is shaded with Azaleas and Dogwods lining the drive. Hydrangea, Camellia, and Azalea beds are filled with Columbine, Coleus, Ferns, Hostas and Impatiens. As you pass through the arbor covered with the Lady Banks Rose into the back yard, you will find over a hundred fragrant rose bushes that will leave you breathless. You’ll be awestruck at the arbors of roses, grapes, and blackberries blended with several large cutting beds, vegetable garden, greenhouses, and Koi pond. “As I work in my garden I always think of the hymn In the Garden because God does speak to me and walk with me in the garden and the best time truly is when the dew is still on the roses” says Barbara Sprouse.