Historic Green

For a lot of people, a big swimming pool in the backyard is a sign of success. For me, I could do without the swimming pool. I’d much prefer something like this:



While my parents came to Charleston, my mom and I walked down Meeting Street in the downtown historic district, and we stopped at No. 16 Meeting Street, Calhoun Mansion.

We didn’t tour the inside of the home...we’ll do that during a future visit. But we did walk around the Japanese water gardens on the property. I’d love to have a home with this much green space...rich, fragrant, healthy green space. Imagine how at peace one could become if this is what waited right outside your door!

Colorful Spring

I made a visit recently to Magnolia Plantation in the West Ashley area of Charleston. The site was founded by the Drayton family way back in 1676. It’s actually the oldest public gardens in America.

Everywhere you look, you see azaleas, magnolias, camillas, irises and countless other blossoms. Walking down the paths, you’re met with some of the sweetest fragrances you’ll ever encounter.

I saw this gazebo across a pond as I was chasing an egret for a photo. The egret wasn’t in a cooperative mood, but the gazebo sat perfectly still.

The Best Seat

I love the beach...with conditions. First, there should be no one else around but me. There's nothing like a nice, quiet beach with nothing but the sound of crashing waves to listen to.

When I find a scene like that, along with an empty chair facing out towards the blue horizon, it occurs to me that I might have stumbled upon the best seat in the house.

End of the Boardwalk

On St. Patrick's Day, I decided to avoid the drunken masses with a trip to the beach. It's hard to believe that I now live less than a half-hour from the ocean. (I hope I'll still like this fact after Hurricane season!)



Here's a nice shot of the boardwalk leading to the beach on Sullivans Island. I like the way the wooden boardwalk seems to just disappear into the sand dunes.

Photo Challenge: Red

The latest Round Robin Photo Challenge is "Red."

Last month, I posted a photo of a beautiful white Camellia. From my same visit to Middleton Place Plantation, here's a scarlet red version:



It's amazing how vibrant that flower really was in person. As vibrant as the color in the photo is, I don't think the webpage could possibly do it justice.

Middleton Place House

Here is another image from my visit last month to Middleton Place Plantation, located along the Ashley River in Charleston.



The house shown is all that remains of a grand three-story home built in 1741 by Henry and Mary Middleton. In 1755, two companion two-story buildings known as flankers were constructed on the north and south sides of the home. The north flanker housed a library of more than 10,000 volumes, paintings and other artwork. The south flanker was used by visitors and also contained the plantation's business office.

Unfortunately, the main house itself was burned by Union soldiers on February 22, 1865. Henry's grandson, also named Henry, had signed the Ordinance of Seccession to begin the Civil War, and the Union soldiers went on a rampage in retaliation, destroying as much as they could of the buildings and beautiful gardens on the property.

By the end of the Civil War, the south was in financial ruin, and it would be four more years before the south flanker, the least damaged of the three structures, could be restored by the Middleton family; this then became their primary residence. The Great Earthquake of 1886 leveled the ruins of the other two buildings; you can still see piles of original bricks half buried where the home stood.



Walking inside the building is something of a shock for someone who had grown accustomed to Maymont House in Richmond, one of the earliest homes there to be built for electricity. Obviously, there was no electricity available for homes built in the early to mid 1700s, but it is amazing how dark the inside of the home appears, even in daylight. Candles were very much a requirement. Also, unlike the polished wood floors and carpeting of Maymont, the floors are more bare. It's hard to imagine living back then...I don't think I'd have liked it that much, but it's still a fascinating place to visit.

White Camellia

Over the weekend, I visited Middleton Place Plantation in Charleston. Besides what's left of the original home, the 200-acre site is also famous for its sprawling gardens. At the moment, it's mostly camellias that are in bloom, and there is a wide variety of them. Some are white, some are a brilliant scarlett, and others have petals of both colors.

This one was one of my favorites.