Charleston, SC

I'm writing from our beautiful hotel room

where we'll be staying for a few days,
in Charleston, SC... 

The haunting sensation of walking on another skin in another era.  The evocative melody of cathedral bells ringing the early morning.  Those ghosts of yesterday roaming ancient cemeteries under the fragrance of camellia canopies.  Bermudian limestone ancient dwellings.  The sound of hoods of gentle beasts, and horse drawn carriages traveling on flagstone century old streets.  Courtyards and secret gardens.  Exotic blooms and fragrant trees.  Camellias, azaleas, tea olives and the crepe myrtle.  I have been enchanted by the oldest city in South Carolina—Charleston.   

Enchanting courtyard gardens... 

   

Ivy covered walls...

The old St. Philips Cemetery in Charleston's historic downtown, where camellias petals cover century old tombs...  an enchanting place to visit. 

It is said that this graveyard is visited by the apparition of a woman crying over a grave. Others have heard a small child, almost a baby, crying here.  Perhaps it is something to do with baby Julia?

On June 10, 1987, local amateur photographer, Harry Reynolds, was snapping pictures around the cemetery at St. Philip’s Church.  Harry is a native Charlestonian who grew up just down the street from St. Philip’s Church Cemetery.  So, even though the main gate to the cemetery was locked, he knew that he could still get a shot of most of the cemetery by poking his camera through the bars on the rear gate.  Harry took several photos and sent them for development.  He noticed nothing unusual about any of them…until he got to one very particular...  you can read and see the photograph HERE.

I've been enchanted by the exotic beauty of camellias and now I need to have one or two trees growing in my garden...

Huge potted plants go hand in hand with beautiful wrought iron work, and every house is embellished by a lovely, walled garden... 

Can you hear the whispers, a few giggles and the soft swooshing of the silk gowns and dresses?

This lovely home here is for sale.  If you have 2 millions to spare, it could be yours...

When my husband asked me last week if I wanted to go with him to SC to some meetings he was holding there, I could barely believe my luck... why, I've been reading Emily Whaley's book about her garden on Church Street in Charleston, South Carolina for a few months now (slow reader), and her ageless and captivating gardens had me dreaming with it and wishing for a deeper connection with my own creations in my little plot, which for too long now, is been bared of blooms and under the spell of winter.  How could I'd said no to that!  We didn't get to go inside Emily's lovely gardens because it was closed to the public, but we were able to take a peek of it from a neighboring home that was being renovated and whose workers let us go through...

You can find Emily Whaley's book HERE.  And you can see some photographs of her garden here HERE...

Hope you enjoyed the little tour... see you soon!