Events
From the beginning, the Garden has tried to implement various events to bring in the public to interact with all its land has to offer. Some of these events have stuck out more than others, and some have even been recycled back into current use (with a twist to keep up with the times, of course). In the 1980s, in particular, there were two events that were repeated annually and got much attention from newspapers and the general public.
The first of these is Flower Day, which was held annually for many years at the peak the end of summer blooms. Flowers were laid out and planted in specific designs and patterns months before so that when visitors would arrive for Flower Day (which would sometimes last a few days or a weekend versus just a single day), they would be greeted by glorious blooms in breathtaking visuals. On Flower Day, there were even guided tours around different parts of the gardens, where guides would talk about the various flowers and blooms that were brilliantly open before their eyes. The first ever Flower Day was delayed by a week due heavy end of summer rain and piling up of mud in parts of the Garden; the event was then held on August 9th, 1979 instead. Thousands of flowers were planted each year for Flower Day, composed of often 175-200 different species. [1] Today, this event no longer exists, and there are no similar events to it.
The other well-known event in the 1980s was art shows in the Garden, where local artists would come and sell their art and proceeds would then go to the Garden for projects and expansion. Sometimes live music was involved or different artists were featured. One such featured artist was Elizabeth Belser Fuller, would spent many years doing en plein air art in the Garden. [2] Some of her art is even featured in the current visitor's center. Both of these events, the art shows and Flower Day, were created under the Garden's second director, David Bradshaw.
Today, the South Carolina Botanical Garden has new events, such as Full Moon Hikes at the Clemson Experimental Forest (also partnered with Clemson University), nature-themed jewelry-making classes, classes for kids to learn more about different aspects of nature, live music and wine tastings, a wreath-making class for the holidays, and even a Day of the Dead event on November 1st. [3] One event that in is its third year running again, is a Peter Rabbit spring event for kids that is hosted at the Butterfly Garden. This event had begun under Bradshaw, but was discontinued for several years before most recently being re-implemented as a program/event once more. [4] These are only a few of the multitude of events that the Garden offers today.
[3] South Carolina Botanical Garden Facebook page