This gorgeous garden is unique, romantic, and quite photogenic.
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Music by Jason Shaw at AudionautiX
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Featured image courtesy of TripAdvisor
Transcript:
Hello Listeners,
Today is February 24, and this is A Garden A Day with Mædunbroc Gardens.
Thank you for listening.
We’re back in the U.S. today. Today’s garden is unlike any we’ve explored so far this year, but I’m guessing most of you listeners out there have seen it even though you might not know it.
Think back to all the movies and television series you’ve ever watched. Today’s garden has provided the location for sixteen films and television series including Cold Mountain with Nicole Kidman and Renee Zellweger, The Patriot with Mel Gibson and Heath Ledger, North and South with a huge cast including Patrick Swayze, The Notebook with Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams, and more recently, the TV series Outer Banks.
So where are we? Today, we are exploring Cypress Gardens in Moncks Corner, South Carolina.
Just a brief note before we continue on — If you are thinking, “I thought Cypress Gardens was in Florida.” There was a Cypress Gardens in Florida. It’s now part of Legoland, but today’s garden is a different one — not related at all. They just share the same name.
And on we go.
Located about thirty miles or so north of Charleston, South Carolina, Cypress Gardens opened to the public in 1932, but it has a long, Low Country history.
The area was cultivated as a rice plantation for Alex Nesbitt, a Scottish Baronet who arrived in South Carolina in 1725. The plantation stayed in the family for three generations until the Revolutionary War when the plantation was seized by the patriots due to the Nesbitt’s loyalty to the Crown.
In 1821, the plantation was purchased by William Augustus Carson who made improvements to the rice plantation by damming the swamps allowing the fields to flood, hence controlling the flow and amount of water and thereby making his fields more profitable.
In 1909, the plantation was purchased by Benjamin Rufus Kittredge who intended to use the property for duck hunting. Because he was not cultivating the land, nature was allowed to choose its own way, and cypress trees began growing in the swamp.
Kittredge decided to protect the land and planted azaleas and other blossoming plants to showcase the beauty of the land. He opened the garden to the public in 1932.
The elder Kittredge died in 1951, and his son, Benjamin Jr., sold the 170 acre wetland preserve to the city of Charleston for $1 in 1963 in order to preserve the garden and allow it to be enjoyed by future generations.
In 1996, the city gave the property to Berkeley County, and today, the garden is maintained by the county.
Cypress Gardens includes eighty acres of blackwater swamp that visitors can explore in a flat bottom row boat. This paddle through the bald cypress and tupelo trees is self-guided and allows visitors to get up close and personal with egrets and other shore birds, turtles, otters, and most likely — alligators. It’s a good idea to keep your hands and feet inside the boat at all times.
The tour is aided by signs along the way, showing the route boaters should take through the swamp. Paddlers will enjoy seeing trees dripping with lacy Spanish moss and hearing a chorus of frogs, cicadas, and birds.
Guided boat tours are also available and are a better option for guests who want to learn more about the history of the area and have an experienced guide name the plants and wildlife along the water route.
On dry land, there are four and a half miles of trails that wind over, around, and through the swamp. Along the trails, guests will enjoy the blooms of azaleas, dogwoods, wild violets, and camellias. There is also a stunning wildflower meadow and a water lotus pond.
Visitors will also enjoy the 2500 square foot Butterfly House — the largest in South Carolina. Hundreds — maybe even thousands — of butterflies flit amongst the flowers and guests. Educational displays show the life cycle of the butterflies and explain their role in the ecosystem. And if you hear a buzzing sound, it’s not just you. There is an active beehive in the Butterfly House that allows visitors to see the little buzzers at work.
The Swamparium is a fun spot to visit. It’s a swampy aquarium that houses fish, reptiles, and amphibians that live in the swamp environment. Guests get up close and personal — behind protective glass — with snakes, salamanders, and all kinds of creepy crawlies.
The garden also maintains an Aviary with a cockatoo and parrots.
At the entrance of Cypress Gardens, guests will find the Heirloom Garden. Camellias, azaleas, roses, and crape myrtles provide a romantic backdrop for weddings.
Cypress Gardens is a regular spot for daily hikers and walkers as well as a wonderful day out for families.
A small play area for children and a picnic area make the garden a great place to spend the day.
A tip for anyone who’s never visited the Low Country. Bring mosquito repellant, sunscreen, and bottled water. Trust me.
Cypress Gardens is open from 9:00 to 5:00 seven days a week but is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.
There is a fee for entry and an additional fee for the guided boat tour.
I do hope you’ve enjoyed this episode. That’s about it for today. Join me here tomorrow to find out where we are going next.
As a reminder, I release a new episode every single day. You can find past episodes anywhere you listen to podcasts or you can find them at our website — agardenaday.com.
Thanks for listening. If all goes well, I’ll be right back here tomorrow. See you then!
To learn more about Cypress Gardens, check out these links:
https://cypressgardens.berkeleycountysc.gov/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cypress_Gardens_(South_Carolina)
https://porchlightreading.com/visit-the-cypress-gardens-in-south-carolina/
https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/nature/south-carolina/cypress-gardens-butterfly-house-sc-2
https://discoversouthcarolina.com/articles/cypress-gardens-is-well-worth-the-driveand-price
https://www.cntraveler.com/activities/moncks-corner/cypress-gardens
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