Columbia Green // Photo Gallery

Photo Gallery

St. Peter's Catholic Church

St. Peter's Catholic Church downtown which also received a grant from Columbia Green.
Summit Parkway/Center for Inquiry Garden

Columbia Green gave the Center of Inquiry, a magnet school within Summit Parkway Middle School in Northeast Columbia, a $3,000 grant. Students, parents and faculty worked side-by-side to create a "story-book" garden.
2009 Festival of Gardens - Garden 12

The front of this 1939 home is lovely and welcoming with its massive magnolia tree and traditional Southern plants, but it is Dr. and Mrs. James Reynolds' back garden, which appears divided into a series of outdoor "rooms," that screams "Wow!" Wander from the front to "the little house" that serves as a guest retreat next to a pool, bordered by a wall of boxwoods. You'll want to check out the Backyard Wildlife Habitat where smart gardening practices have created a city haven where wildlife can raise their young. This secluded area and the expansive garden have provided the backdrop for weddings, Easter egg hunts, children's birthday parties, engagement and debutante parties, and picnics for decades.
2009 Festival of Gardens - Garden 11

This new home and garden for Sam and Cynthia Clarke has a "Charleston country" design, with landscaping and plants that reflect the traditional South. Facing east, the base of the elevated front porch is softened with a garden of cast iron plants, glossy dwarf pittosporum, gardenias and perennial bulbs. A Japanese boxwood in a mounded shape adds formality while seasonal annuals and prostrate rosemary grace the walkway entrance. Visible from the street, the long south side of the house features crepe myrtles to blend with neighboring trees across Westminster Drive. Facing west, a boxwood lined circular slate patio defines the walled courtyard. The delight of the back garden is a bronze sculpture sitting in a fountain pool. The figure, "Turtle Child," is reminiscent of American sculptor Edith Barretto Stevens Parson's well-known piece "Frog Baby." Note how the Italian cypress and sweet bay magnolias screen neighboring roof lines and add privacy. The Charleston country theme is completed with a wrought iron arched trellis and garden gate.
2009 Festival of Gardens - Garden 10

Looking to design a garden that is traditional and Southern? Then head to the home of Dr. and Mrs. Whit Kinder for inspiration. This garden, which is lovely in all seasons, is simply splendid in May. The home was built in the 1940s, but the Kinders redesigned the landscaping and garden. The graceful, evergreen live oaks found throughout the South are at home with the elegant blooms of Formosa azaleas, rhododendron and camellias in the garden. You'll simply want to linger in the shade of the live oaks and "stay a spell".
2009 Festival of Gardens - Garden 9

The first thing you'll notice in Mr. & Mrs. Mark Cotterill's garden is the magnificent live oak tree spanning the front garden. Secondly, you'll see the broad swath of liriope under the live oak and how the curved lines of the liriope beds and sidewalks create a natural and soft feel. The numerous mature trees make this a shade garden – it is appropriately planted with Japanese fatsias and several varieties of ferns and hostas. A carriage house in the back garden serves as a studio for landscape architect Mark Cotterill, while the raised patio offers an ideal place for outdoor cooking and entertaining.
2009 Festival of Gardens - Garden 8

Creating an outdoor living space for a home bordering a busy city street would be a challenge for many couples, but Michael Mann and Barbara Rackes as well as their children have added their own special touches to a large yard that is low-maintenance and perfect for their busy lives. A patio for outdoor entertaining opens onto a terrace where container gardens burst with color. Hammocks, purchased on a trip to Costa Rica, provide quiet time among the trees, and a spacious green area provides space for young people to play. A vegetable garden will yield tomatoes, beans, squash and peppers in the summer, and the family enjoys fresh herbs grown in container gardens. The green thumbs of this family are particularly evident in the fruits of their kumquat, lime and lemon trees.
2009 Festival of Gardens - Garden 7

The garden of the English Tudor home of Mr. and Mrs. Steven Morrison has five distinct spaces. The front of the home is designed to resemble a park, and with 40-plus trees, the area is inviting and spacious. At one end, the home's library and formal living room open on to a Charleston-style garden, created to be an "outdoor room". At the opposite end, a sunroom opens to a formal English garden perfect for parties and entertaining. The landscaping is complete with a small orchard and a public space along the street where the driveway features stones in a European fan design. Built in 1936, this home was named an "All-American Home" in a General Electric competition and was the first in Columbia to have air conditioning.
2009 Festival of Gardens - Garden 6

The front of this white-columned home owned by Fred Altman faces one of Forest Hills lovely islands. Traditional planting beds add to the Southern appeal of the home, but it's the hillside garden at the back of the home that gives this spacious corner lot its appeal. A wooden deck flows into a more formal brick patio where shade from the home's many trees provides cool and quiet respite among azaleas, roses, Sego palms and container gardens. Steps lead the visitor on to walkways throughout a lovely city garden perfect for parties, summer dinners with friends, or quiet time with a book.
2009 Festival of Gardens - Garden 5

A quiet English garden complements the design of this delightful white English cottage. Lush ivy is the signature piece of this peaceful garden, covering topiaries as well as flowing gently over the ground and along fences where Carol DuBose finds joy in digging in the dirt and spending time with her dogs, Max, Reba and Scout. You'll find that camellias, roses and azaleas blend in with container gardens filled with begonias and impatiens that DuBose places in groups. Blue, white and yellow blooms mix well with graceful ferns, as do pink and yellow blooms – all of which reinforce the inviting style of cottage living. An old-fashioned potting station that belonged to DuBose's father showcases containers that are works of art in progress.
2009 Festival of Gardens - Garden 4

It might have been a difficult task to take a city home on a corner lot off Forest Drive and design a garden for entertaining and relaxation, but accomplished gardener Hillary McDonald has created an environment that is private, yet inviting. At the front, mixed beds offer variety in texture and color. Hydrangeas, azaleas, dogwood, Shasta daisies, Japanese maples, and Abelia add color from spring through fall. Follow the driveway around the house to a butterfly garden with lantana, black-eyed Susan, and salvia. A cozy courtyard with a fountain joins ferns, ivy, and herbs and is furher accented with caladiums. At the end of the driveway, wax myrtles provide a screen into a spacious, shady garden perfect for parties and for McDonald's dog Maggie to play.
2009 Festival of Gardens - Garden 3

"I want it to be charming" was the criteria that Tina Lane set for the elegant brick and wrought iron hardscape and inviting landscape meticulously designed for her Forest Hills home built in the 1930s. The stately oak tree, blue hydrangeas and magnificent camellias are original to the home. For the rest of her landscaping, Lane chose plants and flowers that were prevalent when the house was built. The front garden has no grass, though no visitors will notice when they are carried away by the fragrant and abundant antique roses, dogwoods, white and pink quince, a dwarf Alberta spruce, green velvet boxwoods, snow cap daisies, Japanese Kerria, coral bark maple, and Society Garlic, to name but a few of her interesting plants. Don't miss the delightful herb garden, once an annual bed, near the front door that boasts variegated thyme, pineapple sage, sweet basil, lemon sage, Greek oregano, dill and dark opal parsley - all just waiting to be pinched for dinner! Look over the back gate to the shady garden that Lane designed for Toby, her friendly pet Vizsla.
2009 Festival of Gardens - Garden 2

Welcome to the Lowcountry! Charleston influences are evident in this spectacular home and garden peacefully tucked away in Columbia’s Tanglewood neighborhood. A bronze crane spews water into a captivating pool that can be viewed from the den, kitchen, and master bedroom. The garden has lots of room for children to play, and a large, painted Palmetto tree sculpture adds a touch of whimsy to the playground. Bounded in the back by the tall, mature trees of a neighboring community, this home and garden are a quiet retreat within the city.
2009 Festival of Gardens - Garden 1

1666 Tanglewood Road - Beautiful brick walls create privacy and give formality to this garden where the sound of water spilling from a large fountain adds to the serenity of the home of Dr. and Mrs. Mark Salley. A large covered patio, beautifully designed and welcoming, looks out over the formal setting where palms, ferns, and boxwoods add layers of green to the landscaping. Bursts of color come from the hanging baskets and lavish container gardens that can be changed throughout the year to accommodate the changing seasons.
People and Trees Workshop

Columbia Green members and guests heard tree care tips during a four-hour symposium at the Robert Mills House on Saturday, April 4th.
2008 Festival of Gardens - Garden 12

2008 Festival of Gardens - Garden 12
2008 Festival of Gardens - Garden 11

2008 Festival of Gardens - Garden 11
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2008 Festival of Gardens - Garden 10
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2008 Festival of Gardens - Garden 9
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2008 Festival of Gardens - Garden 8
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2008 Festival of Gardens - Garden 7
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2008 Festival of Gardens - Garden 6
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2008 Festival of Gardens - Garden 5
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2008 Festival of Gardens - Garden 4
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2008 Festival of Gardens - Garden 3
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2008 Festival of Gardens - Garden 2
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2008 Festival of Gardens - Garden 1
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2007 Festival of Gardens - Garden 11

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2006 Festival of Gardens - Garden 1

This passionate gardening couple describes themselves as transplant Yankees who yearned for gardening in the South. Eleven years ago this garden was built from scratch and the dream of growing southern favorites such as camellias, azaleas, and rhododendrons finally became a reality. The result is a personal creation containing plants from friends in Boston, iron pots from the mills of Pittsburgh, and a secret garden created especially for their seven grandchildren to explore while visiting from the North. The perennials, roses, and native evergreen shrubs combined with the personal touches of these delightful gardeners have transformed this property into the southern garden this couple once envisioned.
2006 Festival of Gardens - Garden 2

You'll need your sturdy walking shoes to enjoy this extraordinary garden carved into a slope overlooking beautiful Lower Spring Valley Lake. Embedded with paths, ponds, bridges, and countless tons of creatively placed stones, this gardens most amazing feature is the recirculating streambed that pumps water uphill and forms a meandering stream that flows throughout the terraced paradise. In addition to its creative design, this garden also contains quite a collection of unique plants. Don't miss the citrus trees which produce Meyer lemons, oranges, and even grapefruits, all grown by a relentless gardener who refuses to buy into the myth that citrus trees cannot grow in the state of South Carolina.
2006 Festival of Gardens - Garden 3

You'll know you've arrived at this stately home and garden when you see the hand-painted blue stone driveway created by the late artist Rick Bay. A waiting visitors is a series of master fully designed garden rooms, each of which has a personality of its own. Enjoy the quaint herb garden full of lush rosemary, grape vines, and a pergola beautifully draped with evergreen Clematis armandii. While surrounded by azaleas, camellias, rhododendrons, and hydrangeas, stroll down a natural path overlooking a walled garden containing a brick patio, beautiful garden room, and an abundance of lush planting. Don't miss the twenty-four-year-old kiwi vine or the towering cryptomeria, which the garden owners started from rooted cuttings.
2006 Festival of Gardens - Garden 4

It took twenty-eight years, a sense of humor, a creative gardener, and a strong back to create this charming garden. Who needs to traverse the globe when you can tour gardens from around the world in one backyard? This self-made paradise is as whimsical as its head gardener and promises to put a smile on your face as well as take you to faraway places. Every brick was laid by the gardener himself, resulting in countless paths winding from Charleston to England with numerous stops and gorgeous planting along the way. There is never a dull moment in this delightfully designed garden, so keep your eyes peeled or you just might miss moving trains, trickling fountains, or a trip to a secret garden. Oh, and by all means, please pay your respects to Scruffy.
2006 Festival of Gardens - Garden 5

Now take a real deep breath because you are going to need it. Dr. Satish Prabhus' garden just might be one of the prettiest sights you will ever see. The magnificent Scarlet Me id land rose draped over the ornate iron entrance gate is worth the trip alone. But lo and behold, there are four hundred more gorgeous roses to see! The Oh mys will be a flyin' as you enjoy this amazing paradise, formerly named the best rose garden in the southern United States by the All America Rose Society. Satish, himself, is the recipient of at least twenty- two national rose awards, and was recently awarded the 2005 Lifetime Achievement Award for Exhibiting Excellence. You are sure to leave this garden feeling proud that Columbia is home to such an amazingly beautiful sight.
2006 Festival of Gardens - Garden 6

A pathway stone in this garden reads, As the garden grows, so shall the gardener. Having first been inspired by her parents from Charleston, this homeowner has, indeed, grown into quite the wise gardener. She decided long ago that she was not going to cry over dead grass, hence her designing mantra: Where I cant grow grass I grow a garden. Although the challenges of gardening on a natural spring and battling wildlife such as invasive deer were looming ones, this gardener confesses that where there's a problem, there's a garden. So amid the pools, fountains, and many wandering paths, admire the natural plantings of iris, hydrangeas, countless native shrubs, and daylilies. And you think you've seen daylilies.
2006 Festival of Gardens - Garden 7

Look for the greenest grass east of the Mississippi, a Frank Lloyd Wright-like home, and immaculate flowing beds of vibrant spring color. If you're lucky, you'll find the Fields residence wedged between Wildewood's sprawling golf course and one of its many gorgeous lakes. Having owned the home thirteen years, this couple began gardening the day they moved in and has yet to cease tidying up since. There are so many mesmerizing views in this garden you may even forget to watch for stray golf balls. Don't dare miss the pond-inspired pool surrounded by numerous sculptures, which are almost as witty as the homeowner herself. This garden will not only inspire you to clean out and spruce up your own, but it will also provide new meaning to the term curb appeal.
2006 Festival of Gardens - Garden 8

A metal sculpture of a girl with a butterfly net beckons you into this certified Backyard Habitat and English style garden. Climbing fig covering the brick Colonial home gives it an old feel, a gardening tip picked up while on vacation in jolly old England. Duck through the rose and jasmine-covered archway into the backyard and explore the different garden rooms, all of which are havens for bees, birds, and butterflies. Don't miss the clever composting area, where bunnies live in a homemade hutch above a compost pile. An old saying states, Every garden has a story to tell. Well, this well-known garden, as well as the gardener herself, is brimming with charming tales, personal anecdotes, and unique garden wit.
2006 Festival of Gardens - Garden 9

In September of 2005 the backyard of this lovely home was completely wooded. Just six months ago the amazing transformation from wooded forest to designer landscape began. Because the family has four young children, they yearned for both kid friendly play spaces as well as landscaped borders. The end result is an astounding, expansive green space that will tempt you to book a birthday party as you leave. Surrounding the yard are lush swooping beds anchored by sixty Leyland Cypress trees. The most memorable feature of this outdoor wonderland still awaits you. Even though the temperature is quite warm, you'll want to cozy right up to the massive stone fireplace covered by a custom-made pergola. You may want to bring your marshmallows!
2006 Festival of Gardens - Garden 10

Spend some time in this intimate garden sanctuary and you'll have a hard time deciding which is more precious, the homeowners or the garden. The garden began taking shape five years ago when the head gardener, an avid golfer, started digging in the dirt as a break from hitting golf balls. The plants didn't seem to hook or slice like the golf balls did, so gardening became his passion. The result is a masterfully planned symmetrical courtyard garden with boxwood-lined brick paths the likes of which you might find in old Charleston. The most endearing aspect of this quaint sanctuary is the statue of the kneeling little girl named Meredith. Given to the homeowner by her father on the day of her birth seventy-three years ago, it still bears its original coat of paint.
2006 Festival of Gardens - Garden 11

These creative homeowners have taken outdoor entertaining to a new level. Upon entering the backyard through a side gate marked by flanking gargoyles, you will immediately find yourself in a private, pool side outdoor kitchen. Think you're impressed now? Make your way up to the pool house, where you may choose to play a game of pool or you may opt to take a dip in the swimming pool. The sound of the trickling waterfall sets a perfect tone for you to peruse the various plantings and sculptures in the beds surrounding the property. Don't forget to greet the pool-shooting frog dancing among the unbelievable fortress of towering cypress trees. Be real nice and smile a lot maybe this couple will invite you back.
2006 Festival of Gardens - Garden 12

Please join us for our grand finale, a culminating Garden Tea Party in an oh-so-breathtaking outdoor living haven. What a way to complete such an inspiring day shop at the plant sale, garden market, art show, or just take a seat and pretend you're in entertainment heaven. Enjoy the shady pool side living room and dining area, and at least try to contain yourself as you discover the kitchen, bar, and state-of-the-art grilling area. Marvel at the privacy created by the surrounding walls, which are draped in Clematis armandii and provide a stunning backdrop for magnolias, loquats, and red Japanese maples. Spend enough time in this families cloister and you'll be inquiring about Spring Break rates before you leave.
2005 Festival of Gardens - Garden 1

This whimsical garden handles some difficult landscape situations perfectly: a natural bog runs through this property, and the homeowner has dealt with this in a unique and creative way. The pergola is covered in beautiful Armand Clematis, and the garden features some of the largest weigelas in Columbia. Don't miss the secret Helleborus garden.
2005 Festival of Gardens - Garden 2

The wrought-iron pineapple railing and large columns give this home a true Southern charm. A meandering stone path leads to the first garden room, where you are greeted by frogs sunning themselves by a small pond. Follow the path through a vine-laden arbor to discover a second room, graced with a hand-painted deck.
2005 Festival of Gardens - Garden 3

The front garden of this home displays mature live oaks underplanted with shade-loving ferns, Aspidistra, Heuchera, and Hellebores. Stroll through the arched Jasmine-covered gateway to the back garden, which erupts into sun, color, and incredible new walkways and patios. The lovely stonework guides you past the pineapple fountain to the raised vegetable and herb beds.
2005 Festival of Gardens - Garden 4

Colorful window boxes in the front of this garden give way to a plethora dogwoods. A pathway featuring Japanese maples and huge sago palms. Lushly planted containers surround this peaceful outdoor haven.
2005 Festival of Gardens - Garden 5

Stepping through the gate off the circular driveway brings you into lovely garden rooms brimming with hydrangeas, crape myrtles, and ivy-swagged planters. A cozy bed of foxgloves and ferns separates the clever "his" and "hers" tool sheds beyond the climbing fig-covered brick wall. The very large climbing fig in the front actually produces fruit!
2005 Festival of Gardens - Garden 6

Espaliered pyracanthas grace the entrance to this Heathwood home. The pathway around back leads first to a shaded courtyard then continues to a fern-surrounded water feature under a vine-covered pergola. Large oak-leaf hydrangeas direct you through the backyard to the driveway, where you’ll find a handsome collection of heirloom roses.
2005 Festival of Gardens - Garden 7

The grape-ornamented wrought iron gate leads into a front gardenfull of Helleborus, Acanthus, poppies, and cannas. A cherubic statue and sundial face a giant oak that supports a vigorous climbing hydrangea. Numerous water features grace intimate pathways covered with larkspur, salvia, daisies, and delphiniums. Yellow jessamine spills over the doorway leading to the back patio, which is lined with colorful window boxes. Remember to peek through the final gate at "Bear's Garden," to see more lovely Cannas, roses, and a variety of ferns.
2005 Festival of Gardens - Garden 8

You must see what's behind the wall! This intriguing house has always been of interest because of the architecture, but wait until you see the garden. The intimate courtyard opens up to a wide lawn and beautiful mature Deodar Cedars. Then there’s the secret garden under the trees....
2005 Festival of Gardens - Garden 9

This stately home boasts clean lines and a manicured front that opens the way to a jessamine-covered garden gate. Gracefully curving beds surround plantings of phlox, dahlia, sedum, and salvia. The landscape is dotted with huge crape myrtles and dogwoods. Just past a secret garden room to the right, a winding path luxuriant with Hydrangeas leads to more beds flowing with brilliant annual and perennial color.
2005 Festival of Gardens - Garden 10

You'll have trouble believing you're in downtown Columbia when you step into this urban oasis. The Hubbards' garden is lush year-round, so prepare for the spectacular springtime horticultural display! Fun art, created by these garden owners, is visible throughout as you make your way down winding pathways to the various nooks and crannies of this garden. These pathways also connect a variety of "garden gathering spaces," including an art studio, a garden pavilion, a shady hammock resting spot, and the garden pond.
2004 Festival of Gardens - Garden 1

Tour tickets are available in this beautiful richly planted tiered garden of a Master Gardener. The patio is separated from the upper garden by a 6 foot wall draped with overflowing blooms and foliage. You can take two paths: one leads to an arbor and swing with a lake view, and one leads to the upper garden from the patio area. This garden is as colorful and delightful as its Head Gardener!
2004 Festival of Gardens - Garden 2

Only a year old, this extremely handsome house, complete with mahogany front and garage doors and low maintenance landscaping, is perfect for its frequently traveling owners. The front, iron-gated courtyard is neat as a pin, and even attractive at night as subtle lighting gives a warm glow. Situated on a lake in Ashworth, the house enjoys a view of a large fountain from the back porch.
2004 Festival of Gardens - Garden 3

This working couple wanted a garden that provided pleasure without extreme maintenance issues. Very attractive from the street, this home has a brick and iron walled back yard that has a very southern feel. The gracious columns on the back of the house lead to garden of camellias, crepe myrtles, iron plant, and liriope, which provide a maximum of enjoyment with a minimum of effort.
2004 Festival of Gardens - Garden 4

Large trees and a curved brick walkway lined with boxwoods and hydrangeas that lead to the front door, create a cozy and cool old-fashioned garden setting. Go through the arched gateway to the back garden, and you enter an unexpected world of geometric gardens and patios, low black iron furniture, and richly planted containers. A millstone fountain and black ceramic pots used as seats are ideas you just may want to copy.
2004 Festival of Gardens - Garden 5

The first thing that enters your mind at the top of the driveway is "European manor house". A graceful private driveway leads to a lovely large gray stucco home with gas lamps, wonderful porches, and a magnificent pool. One side of the property is wooded and natural, with a creek and birds galore. The other side is bounded by a lake, which gives a wonderful sense of peace and privacy.
2004 Festival of Gardens - Garden 6

Do not miss this one - a beautiful cream stucco house with flowing gardens that can be seen from every room in the house. Oh, my, my! Are we too old to be adopted? Cool and sprawling, painted chairs, a canoe, a hammock by the lake, statues of toads and frogs, and a gorgeous raised planter make this garden about as inviting as they come. You may want to go get your pajamas.
2004 Festival of Gardens - Garden 7

This is a double treat in more ways than one! This duplex turned single residence has an old fashioned, charming front entrance, and an appealing side entrance to the garden behind the house. Take the brick walkway past the tree ferns and olive jar fountain, skip by the 3 frogs on the bench, enjoy the raised beds of perennials, and lo and behold, you will enter yet another garden! Hidden behind the main house is a quaint cottage and garden that the Duchess of Kent would envy!
2004 Festival of Gardens - Garden 8

Next door to the adorable duplex is an extremely appealing blue stucco house with a courtyard garden. The brick walls are covered with climbing fig, and give privacy to the owners of this corner lot in a beautiful neighborhood. Notice the limbed-up oleanders in the large pots – unusual and attractive! Outside the walls, neighbors get to enjoy the lovely rose garden along the curb.
2004 Festival of Gardens - Garden 9

Even in winter, this front garden maintains its appeal. The variety of plants in the curving front beds, as well as the huge oak trees, tempts you to lollygag in the front yard. Mondo grass used along the boarders is very attractive and tidy. The variety of perennials in the back yard tells you that a plant lover lives here! Viburnum tinus is an effective evergreen hedge, providing privacy and berries for the birds as well.
2004 Festival of Gardens - Garden 10

The first thing to catch your eye will be the colorful tiles on the attractive slate front porch. You will go past a camellia hedge on your left, and a unique small fountain on your way to the back yard that never needs to be mowed!These chemistry professors are too busy to keep a high maintenance garden, but they enjoy their carefree, cool back yard retreat, with its stone paths and bunny statues. Ajuga, moss, and groundcovers replace grass, and camellias provide privacy.
2004 Festival of Gardens - Garden 11

Garden Tea Party generously provided by Patty McDougall and the Happy Cookers. The beautiful green tiled roof and wisteria-covered arbor in front of the garage give a hint of the classical elegance of this garden. Once you enter the backyard, you will feel transported to another place and time. The view from the upper terrace is breathtaking! Surrounded by old oaks and azaleas, you will gaze down upon a beautiful garden, pond with fountains and koi, and statues of the four seasons. Be strong, or you will be tempted to violate the 10th Commandment!
2003 Festival of Gardens - Garden 1

Her great-grandfather's millstone has a place of honor in this highly personal and productive garden. She is the creative one, and he is a dedicated raised-bed vegetable gardener. If you've ever dreamed of creating a "Victory Garden” with pizzazz, please don't miss this!
2003 Festival of Gardens - Garden 2

This whole street looks like an established park, with big old trees and soothing grassy areas. The gracious, peaceful atmosphere continues from the front yard of this home into a back brick walled courtyard, with it's pretty pool, fountain, old crepe myrtles, and luxuriously planted pots.
2003 Festival of Gardens - Garden 3

Home, sweet home, is what Samantha the cat, calls this quintessential Shandon house and garden, which was featured on the tour of homes this year. Owned, and lovingly cared for by a Master Gardener, this garden could easily be imagined in the Cotswolds.
2003 Festival of Gardens - Garden 4

A cool path through azaleas, ferns, and hydrangeas will draw you in to the most unique and wonderful water feature you will find in Columbia. Stones stacked up creatively in a large mound with a seating area and waterfall, bring magic to this intimate back yard.
2003 Festival of Gardens - Garden 5

Near accidents must happen in front of this house every day, as people crane their necks out of car windows to get a good look at this adorable house and unusually interesting front yard. Little do they know what a fascinating treat lies behind this cottage, whose owner is an artist in a lawyer's suit.
2003 Festival of Gardens - Garden 6

The wrought iron fenced in front garden gives this home tremendous appeal from the street, but the walled-in space behind the house, with the lovely pool and large stone planter with fountain, is where this family dines and plays. This is an "outside room" in the best sense of the term.
2003 Festival of Gardens - Garden 7

This Charleston single house with two side porches overlooking an oval shaped garden planted with tall Italian cypress, rosemary, and St. Augustine grass, reflects the owner's family roots in both the lowcountry and Italy. The beautiful English fountain in the garden was once a Baptismal Font!
2003 Festival of Gardens - Garden 8

This elegant home and courtyard garden gives you a definite Charleston feel in downtown Columbia. Beautiful old brick walls covered with climbing fig, wrought iron gates and formal columns lend this space a gracious air, and don't miss the genteel treatment of the trashcans!
2003 Festival of Gardens - Garden 9

The old-fashioned lamp post and iron dogs guard the entrance to this extremely attractive home. It will be hard to believe that two years ago, these new owners found an overgrown garden in the back! Beautiful ironwork, brick pathways and round patios will make you want to stay and curl up with a book.
2003 Festival of Gardens - Garden 10

Prepare to have your breath taken away - this place is a house like the Queen Mary is a floating device! Brand new, with an Old World feel, you have just got to see this to believe it. All this AND a view of the skyline from the balcony!
2003 Festival of Gardens - Garden 11

How do you create a quiet respite from the noises of the city? Come see this charming garden with a spectacular view. An intimate courtyard, ironwork, English saddlestones and antiques, as well as a whimsical "bug garden," make this a garden a real treat.
2003 Festival of Gardens - Garden 12

This house and garden are as inviting as they come. Your first glance at the front yard will make you want to come in for tea, and we want you to! A wonderful variety of plants, birds, water features, and whimsical ornaments (check out the giant toad!) make this year-round garden a treat for the eyes and ears. You will love the summerhouse!
2002 Festival of Gardens - Garden 1

West Columbia - We can all envy the grandchildren who get to explore this terraced garden that eventually ends on the bank of the Saluda River. The back of the house overlooks a wonderful vegetable garden along the river and the peaceful Terrace Lake. It will be impossible for you to believe that when the owners moved here 17 years ago the lot was practically bare.
2002 Festival of Gardens - Garden 2

West Columbia - Nestled in a small neighborhood hugging the Saluda River, this home invites both people and wildlife to visit and enjoy. A certified Backyard Habitat, this garden demonstrates that a front yard doesn't need grass to be beautiful, and that native plants provide low maintenance gardening. The owners enjoy observing all the wildlife and hiking the nature trails behind their house. They've even seen bobcats and coyotes.
2002 Festival of Gardens - Garden 3

West Columbia - You will immediately be drawn to this unique cedar house and native plant garden. Between the wonderful guest house and main house is an arbor and private patio that catches the breeze coming off the Saluda River below. Beautiful stone pathways lead you to the edge of huge rocky outcroppings and peaceful seating areas.
2002 Festival of Gardens - Garden 4

West Columbia - This music teacher and cheerful gardener not only has an extremely handy husband (notice the scalloped fence, the arbor over the garage door, the playhouse turned garden shed and the cold frame), but also an old truck to tote dirt and pine straw. She loves looking out her kitchen window, over the lush window box, into a cool palette of purples, blues and whites in her garden.
2002 Festival of Gardens - Garden 5

West Columbia - Living on the edge of a forest, three homeowners were wise enough not to fight Mother Nature. The rocky, hard clay of the sloping backyard resisted cultivation, so it was left natural with lots of trees and native wildflowers. The leaves of the forest in spring and summer serve not only as air conditioners, but also as noise mufflers. Refreshments will be available in this garden.
2002 Festival of Gardens - Garden 6

West Columbia - Don't miss this charming yard of a Master Gardener and antique dealer. You'll probably get whiplash from snapping your head around to see all the interesting and unusual containers, ranging from old shoes to a Dutch baby bath. An adorable garden shed with an old-fashioned screened door and a striped, blown glass gazing ball are nestled in this mostly shaded garden. The owners motto is: "If it holds soil, you can plant in it." You'll get a million ideas here.
2002 Festival of Gardens - Garden 7

West Columbia - The front entrance with an old Red Bud tree covered with ivy is very inviting, but the action really happens in the backyard. Pretty, smaller flower beds with statuary and painted birdhouses invite you in with brick, stone and gravel paths that lead to several interesting destinations. There are two attractive, rustic buildings (a tool shed and a garden shed with old tools mounted on the outside walls) in the back, as well as swings, benches, tables and a gazebo. Real life happens here.
2002 Festival of Gardens - Garden 8

Columbia - Anyone without an imagination needs to come here for therapy. This artistic couple, widely known for their creative, entertaining and gardening skills, took a field with no trees and converted it into a highly personal collage of color and beauty. Everywhere you look, there is something to draw the eye closer: zoo animals, blue ceramic balls, statuary that look like it's coming out of the ground, oil paintings, fabulous plants of all kinds and a Koi pond off the kitchen that is unbelievable. There are hidden garden niches everywhere - don't leave without seeing them all.
2001 Festival of Gardens - Garden 1

The beautiful green tiled roof and wisteria covered arbor in front of the garage give a hint of the elegance of this garden. Once you enter the backyard, you will feel transported to another place in time. The view from the upper terrace is breathtaking. Surrounded by old oaks and azaleas, you will gaze upon a beautiful garden, pond and fountain. To the rear of the pond is an exquisite arbor and bench, where, after a busy day, the owners like to sit, share interesting stories and feed the fish.
2001 Festival of Gardens - Garden 2

The privacy of this lovely garden is guarded by surrounding walls and tall trees with shrubs on all sides. Once inside you will find all sorts of interesting nooks that beg investigating. A shady side yard filled with fatsia, hydrangeas, and children's garden furniture feels like the perfect place to have a tea party. A beautiful perennial border, complete with statues, likes along the brick driveway. You'll pass by a charming little playhouse on the way to the pool garden behind the house. Cine covered walls, a pool and a playful Pan fountain fill these intimate space.
2001 Festival of Gardens - Garden 3

You will fall in love with this house and garden, even at a distance. Picture perfect with its pale green brick and arched doorway, its no wonder that it was featured in Columbia Metropolitan Magazine! Entering the garden gate, the first thing that catches your eye is the exquisite vegetable garden on your right. Surrounded by a white picket fence and arch, it features and olive jar fountain in the center. You will pass by an her garden nestled near the back door, as you enter the pool area. The owners raised the sides of the pool and added swan statues to make it look more like an elegant fountain.
2001 Festival of Gardens - Garden 4

This charming Tudor style house has a brick and stucco walled garden. The metal gates resemble pineapples and invite you in to explore the many "rooms" found inside. Brick lined flower beds and large beautifully planted pots visually separate the activity areas: swimming, dining and basketball. All the necessary equipment and gardening tools are conveniently stored in a pool house that is attractive enough to live in!
2001 Festival of Gardens - Garden 5

This law professor by day and rock-loving avid gardener by night has created an incredibly personal green space, with help from his #1 fan, his artist wife. In this living labyrinth, stone paths will lead you past a "Garden of Eden" tree hung with bromeliads, rose covered arbors, fossils from England, artifacts from the yard (this house was built in 1913), irises in huge barrels, a fish pond, and an almost hidden art studio this is what happens when imagination find a place to play.
2001 Festival of Gardens - Garden 6

Meander down the winding path of this generous front yard for some tea or lemonade. A garden gate brings you into a charming side yard that is flanked by one of the best porches in Columbia. You wont want to leave the rocking chairs! Bird lovers will appreciate the wonderful variety of birdhouses in the backyard, as well as flourishing perennial borders. The owner swears by Miracle Grow! Check out the wonderful outside sink, retrieved from a salvage yard.
2001 Festival of Gardens - Garden 7

This house and garden are as inviting as they come. Your first glance at the front yard will make you want to come in for tea and many people do! This outgoing couple entertains frequently, and their lucky guests often find themselves strolling through one of the prettiest year-round gardens in Columbia. Outside seating, and a newly added summer house make it impossible to stay inside. A wonderful variety of plants and whimsical ornaments (check out the giant toad!) entertain the eye and lift the spirits.
2001 Festival of Gardens - Garden 8

Enter through the iron gate from the street and brush past the rosemary to an inner sanctum. The enclosed front, site and backyard gardens give a sense of privacy and peace to this special place. Peek around corners and discover new "rooms" among the lush vegetation. You will encounter a unique green lattice arbor and a wonderful old iron corridor gate along the way. Don't miss "Bear's Garden" and the ironwork "windows" in the brick wall that allows air to circulate through the intimate nooks. The unique statuary and fountains are a delight!
2001 Festival of Gardens - Garden 9

All of the beautiful old trees in this neighborhood make you feel like you're in the middle of a park. The front yard is home to large azaleas, tall oaks, and magnolias. You rose lovers will really enjoy this garden! There are climbing roses over the graceful arched gate that leads to a cozy enclosed patio on the right, and to the backyard where a formal rose garden is lovingly tended. This old fashioned garden features the best looking mature crape myrtles you'll find anywhere.

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