Edisto Memorial Gardens, Orangeburg
IN 1865, as Union soldiers advanced through the South, a small group of Confederate soldiers gathered in Orangeburg, determined to stand their ground. Fewer than 600 men defended a bridge on the north leg of the Edisto River. The Confederates stood strong and resolute, temporarily halting the enemy’s assault. But the small group was outnumbered and forced to withdraw toward Columbia.
A historical marker now stands where the soldiers once stood, and the beautiful Edisto Memorial Gardens commemorates their efforts. The site was first developed in the 1920s, when azaleas were planted on five acres. A playground was installed two years later; a greenhouse and nursery were added in the 1940s. In the 1950s, a large fountain was moved to the entrance to memorialize veterans of World Wars I and II, Korea and Vietnam. A rose garden was planted in 1951, and today roses are one of the main attractions, according to Buster Smith, director of parks and recreation for the City of Orangeburg. “We now have in excess of 6,000 plants, representing 100 varieties of roses,” Smith said.
The Orangeburg Festival of Roses became an annual event in 1972 and Edisto Memorial Gardens is the center of activity for the festival. It’s held each year in early May and is now recognized as one of the top 20 annual events in the Southeast. Also in 1972, All-America Rose Selections Inc. sanctioned Edisto Memorial Gardens as an o cial test site to grow and exhibit past and current award-winning varieties of its roses. It is one of only 23 such sites in the United States.
Among rose aficionados, these two designations are the top honors that rose growers can hope to achieve. In addition to the Festival of Roses, another annual event is the Children’s Garden Christmas, a drive-through display of animated figures and lighted trees. A separate Kid’s Walk features additional displays especially for youngsters. Those events are open from the Monday before Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day and are free and open to the public. It has long been a goal of Edisto Memorial Gardens offcials to achieve diversity among their offerings, Smith said. There is a butterfly garden with flowers that attract the fluttering insects.
A serenity garden provides a quiet place for meditation and solitude. The Wetlands Park features a boardwalk through a tupelo and cypress bog along the banks of the Edisto River. The Sensory Garden features identifi cation cards with Braille signage, aromatics and plants that withstand touching so that visitors can “see,” smell and feel the plantings.
Two projects under construction are of particular interest, Smith said. The Veterans Memorial Garden is expected to be completed by early fall, and will feature an obelisk, granite monuments and a display of flags dedicated to each branch of the U.S. military.
Also in the works is an Angel of Hope Garden, the only one of its kind in South Carolina, and the 100th in the U.S. This special garden is dedicated to the memory of children who have died. The dedication ceremony is scheduled for Dec. 6.
Smith said there is something for everyone at Edisto Memorial Gardens, including a spray pool, an 18-hold disc golf course, a public boat ramp for motorized vessels and a separate dock for canoes and kayaks.
A wheelchair-accessible boardwalk meanders along the edge of the Edisto, known as the longest black-water river in the world.
Edisto Memorial Gardens
Hours of operation: Seven days a week, dawn to dusk
Cost: Free
Distance: Approximately 120 miles from the Hilton Head bridges, about a two-hour drive
Directions: From Hilton Head/Bluffton, west on U.S. 278 to I-95 North. Exit at I-26 West. Take I-26 West to U.S. 301 toward Orangeburg. Take U.S. 301 to U.S. 21 and turn right. Go about four blocks, then turn left onto Russell Street. On Russell Street go four blocks, turn right onto Riverside. Look for the large fountain at the gates.
Web site: www.orangeburg.sc.us/gardens/
More information: Orangeburg Department of Parks and Recreation, 803-533-6020.
