The Gardens of Edisto

If there’s one thing the residents of Orangeburg, S.C., take pride in, it’s their gardens. In this city’s case, it’s the breathtaking Edisto Memorial Gardens, a 150-acre retreat that comes to life each spring with blooming azaleas, crabapple, dogwood, cherry trees, wisteria and roses, all exploding in a showy parade of color.

“Besides the natural beauty, we are proud of the diversity,” says Buster Smith, director of parks and recreation for the city of Orangeburg (pop. 12,765), which owns and operates the gardens.

Roses begin blooming in mid- to late-April and continue through November, Smith says, and about 4,000 plants representing at least 75 labeled varieties of roses are always on display. The site is one of 23 official test gardens in the United States, sanctioned by the All-America Rose Selections Inc., and since 1973 the Edisto test garden has dedicated itself to displaying up to five of the most desirable hybrid rose introductions each year.

“These are roses that anyone from New York to Louisiana can grow,” says Superintendent of Parks Jay Hiers, adding that the top five roses are judged on criteria such as color and disease resistance. “East Coast, West Coast, north and south, the average homeowner can grow them.”

The site also is home to the annual South Carolina Festival of Roses, held the last weekend in April. “It’s one of our biggest draws each year,” says Smith, noting that Edisto Memorial Gardens draws more than 600,000 visitors annually.

Near the rose gardens, a water wheel, reminiscent of those used to irrigate rice paddies in the Orient, gently turns in the Edisto River, splashing out tunes in a gurgling rhythm.

The Edisto River, the longest free-flowing black water river in the world, stretches more than 200 miles and through eight counties. The north fork of the river is passable only by canoe, and winds through the gardens under the watchful guard of the swamp hardwoods and centuries-old cypress trees lining its banks.

Elsewhere in the gardens, nature lovers can enjoy a picnic or stroll along the boardwalk in the Horne Wetlands Park, established in 1992 to educate the public on the environment impact of wetlands.

Although the gardens now exist in manicured splendor, the area once was an overgrown, marshy swamp. A marker at Edisto Memorial Gardens tells the story of how, in 1865, fewer than 600 Confederate soldiers defended the Edisto River Bridge, occupying rifle pits where the gardens are now. The soldiers were able to temporarily prevent the advance of the Union Army, but outnumbered by their opponents, the Confederates withdrew to Columbia, S.C.

It wasn’t until the early 1920s that the development of Edisto Memorial Gardens began, starting with five acres of azaleas and a playground in 1922. A greenhouse and nursery facilities were established, and in 1950 a fountain memorializing the soldiers was placed at the entrance to the gardens. In 1951, the first roses were planted.

In recent years, a sensory garden for the visually impaired was finished, complete with mosaic artwork as well as textured, distinctively fragrant plants that visitors are encouraged to touch.

“The lamb’s ears feel velvety soft, just like a real lamb’s,” says Hiers of the fragrant, fuzzy-leafed perennial. The sensory garden also includes rosemary, lemon thyme, sweet grass, and gardenia.

Another peaceful section is the butterfly garden, an area providing butterflies with food, water, shelter, and a place to reproduce. The winged creatures can be seen fluttering around purple coneflowers, butterfly bushes, and Mexican sage. “If the plants are blooming, the butterflies are there,” says Hiers, adding that you’ll most likely see them between March and October.

Today, visitors receive a quiet respite at no charge. The Edisto Memorial Gardens are free to the public and open year-round from dawn to dusk. A Christmas lighting display during the holidays transforms the gardens into a brilliant wonderland.

Hiers says even frequent garden visitors experience new things each time they come.

“There’s always something new to find,” he adds. “It’s always changing.”

Karan M. Robinson is a writer based in Clover, S.C.

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