Edisto Gardens in Orangeburg, South Carolina is famous for it's roses. This city owned and operated park has been in operation since the 1920's. In addition to the formal rose gardens, there are additional gardens, a riverfront boardwalk, and a plenty of walking trails throughout the grounds.
During the Civil War, the land where the park sits was used by the Confederates as they attempted to block Sherman's movement northward. However, in February 1865, the defenders were forced to retreat to Columbia when they were outflanked by a much larger Union force.
According to the City's website:
The Edisto Memorial Gardens displays past and current award winning roses from the All-America Rose Selections. Some 4,000 plants representing at least 75 labeled varieties of roses are always on display in the Gardens. This site is also honored to be one of only 23 official test gardens in the United Sates sanctioned by the All-America Rose Selections, Inc. This test garden, which was established in 1973, is dedicated to recognizing up to five of the most desirable hybrid rose introductions each year
Each Mother's Day weekend, Orangeburg hosts the Festival of Roses to celebrate the blooming of the flowers.
The Horne Wetlands Park:
In July 1992, a major new theme was added to the Gardens with the establishment of the Horne Wetlands Park. This 2,600 foot boardwalk takes the visitor into a Tupelo/Cypress wetland that lies between the Display Garden and the North fork of the Edisto River. The Park also features a boat dock with a gazebo and an interpretive shelter filled with educational materials teaching the role of wetlands in our environment and informing the visitor about wetland flora and fauna and the Edisto River. The boardwalk is fully handicap accessible.
At Christmas, the park comes alive with thousands of lights and animated displays as the Children's Christmas Gardens. This free attraction includes a drive-thru light display along with additional walking paths lit up for the holidays.
Anytime fo the year, the Edisto Memorial Gardens is a great place to visit to enjoy the flowers and nature.
For more information, visit the City of Orangeburg's website at: http://www.orangeburg.sc.us/gardens/
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Comments
Good article. With all the coverage this spring I wonder if their visitors will pick up.
My Twitter is now http://twitter.com/genebowker or you can click the link at the top of the page
What a beautiful photo of a wonderful place to visit. Maybe when the gas prices are reasonable again my family will be able to visit Edisto Gardens.
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