USC Press

Charleston City of Gardens

An intimate look at Charleston's lush and inviting green spaces, both private and public, and historic and modern

Long famous for its charming courtyard gardens in the peninsula's historic district, Charleston, South Carolina, has a remarkable southern landscape that also includes dozens of exquisite private gardens, city parks, cemeteries, institutional gardens, and even an urban farm. In Charleston: City of Gardens, Louisa Pringle Cameron shares the splendor of these gems along with accounts from garden owners, an urban forester, a city horticulturalist, and other overseers of the Holy City's beautiful green spaces.

By exploring gardens beyond the Lower Peninsula, Cameron reveals the enormous scope of gardening within the city. Charleston's moderate climate, lengthy growing season, and generous annual rainfall allow thousands of tree and other plant species to thrive. Even certain tropical plants flourish in protected locations. While the more than two hundred color images in Charleston cannot do justice to actually experiencing a lush southern garden with its visual and tactile feasts, gentle sounds of running water and birdsong, and sweet fragrances, they can serve as an inspiration and guide to planning a garden or perhaps a memorable vacation in the Carolinas.