Magnolia Gardens

On June 9 Donna and I visited Magnolia Plantation and Gardens near Charleston. Since 1676 it has been in the Drayton family's possession and is the nation's oldest public gardens.

The first area we visited upon our arrival was the zoo and nature center, a nice open area where visitors can interact with several species, several of which wander among the guests.







We then took a pontoon boat tour over the flooded area that was once the rice plantation; we saw several types of birds and a few alligators along the way.





After the boat tour we embarked on a the many paths leading through the gardens. The size and assortment of vegetation is quite impressive!



Along the way we spotted a few more alligators.





I love hydrangeas! We had blue ones like these at my home when I was growing up, and I've always had a fondness for them. I need to plant some on my property.



We didn't take the optional tour inside the house (built prior to the Revolutionary War, it's around 250 years old!) but we did explore it from the outside and spend a bit of time on its huge wraparound porch.



While watching a few horses off in the distance this lady wandered over to visit them, and I thought the combination of her and the horses and the greenery was quite nice and made for a nice photo.



Cool owl atop a gazebo.



I thought this bridge was really pretty. I love bridges.



A few flower closeups.