Summer has long been the season to seek out greener pastures. Of course, that’s not quite as easy a proposition this summer, in light of the current pandemic’s pull homeward.
But, nature lovers, take heart: Now might be just the time to consider our own backyards, no matter how modest that outside space may be.
Gardens, after all, are Charleston’s verdant calling card and, no matter what some may say, urban density is no new phenomenon. “Charleston has always been that way,” said Erin Stevens, a landscape architect and founder and president of Surculus design firm.
The firm focuses on integrating more organic, ecological systems into the built environment, something particularly suited for an urban locale that has long fancied flora. “We are a city of gardens.”
At Surculus, Stevens spends much of her time reconsidering the urban landscape that is Charleston, with an eye on ecological benefits. City dwellers can make a garden out of any outdoor space, no matter how small. After all, while many current residents bemoan the city’s crowding, historically Charleston has accommodated more people on the peninsula.
“From a density point of view, (historically) we had more people living in the peninsula than we currently do,” she noted. And gardening for that density has long been part of the proposition.
Charleston has long welcomed fig vines up the walls of its homes and gardens. File/Staff
Seize the moment
With the Charleston's current stay-at-home urgings, the timing may be particularly auspicious to tend a garden. If Surculus is any indication, the interest is there, as the firm has been exceedingly busy during the pandemic.
It's a gardening friendly moment, too. Those staying at home or also working there can take a break for consistent watering and weeding, two essentials to starting any garden. There is more time to pay attention to how new plants are faring as well.
Erin Stevens, a landscape architect and founder and president of Surculus design firm, focuses on greener environments in urban settings. Provided
Plus, there is more time to enjoy the fruits of your labor — and to quite literally stop and smell the roses. "I know that in our own garden things would bloom and die and I wouldn't even notice it," Stevens said.
Soil as salve
According to Stevens, the gains of gardening are not just as "land candy," delighting home owners and passersby with their aesthetic allure. There are manifold environmental benefits, from restoring the ecosystem and to helping clean the air.
The red, tubular flowers of coral honeysuckle are attractive to hummingbirds, bees and butterflies. This native vine is also the host plant for the spring azure and snowberry clearwing moth. File/Terasa Lott/Provided
There is more to the dirt than meets the eye, too. “There are some really amazing resources on how touching soil improves things like depression and anxiety,” Stevens said, adding that research has indicated that the microbes in soil can have benefits when they touch the skin. “The actual digging in the dirt is going to help the spirit.”
Looking up
So how do those with modest plots cultivate a paradise? One solution is to go vertical.
Charleston may not have yet commandeered vast swaths of green over high rises and thoroughfares. Around the world, major metropolitan areas have transformed concrete, steel and such to magnificently verdant effect. In Paris, for instance, there are the Musee du Quai Branly’s hanging gardens and the Promenade de Plantee. In New York City, the High Line greened up an abandoned elevated rail into an uplifting haven.
There don't seem to be a lot of vertical systems with standalone walls and plant-holding pockets in the private sector, either. However, Charleston gardeners have long looked up, training vines and guiding flowers to go skyward were square footage failed, creating privacy from neighbors as well as visual delight by dressing up blank walls and adding interest.
We have done so through a variety of vertical constructs. There are trellises, which can be made from latticework or wood frames and hog wire. Stevens recommends standalone trellises rather than attaching them directly onto a house, which can cause issues with moisture. After some initial training on such structures, she said, plants take off nicely and don't require much soil.
Window boxes can be a perfect size for beginning gardeners to learn. File/Jeff Surette/Provided
"You need to watch them and know them and touch them," she said, adding that once Charleston-friendly vines get going, they will do their own thing. Organic plant food helps as well.
The window box, a Charleston favorite, also can be considered a vertical element, perched as it is under a window or on a porch. "That's a really great opportunity to have a garden," said Stevens, adding that they also make for a great starting place for beginners, who can be daunted by larger areas. "They'll enjoy the benefits of it and will be able to see if it needs any attention."
There are also space-saving espaliered plants like camellias and magnolias, that can be fanned out on a smaller structure to become vertical and flat, ideal for courtyard gardens or along driveways. Other long, lean favorites around town are the Italian cypress, which grows to great heights; the podocarpus, an evergreen shrub or tree that works well in tight places; and the Japanese yew that often is seen on the peninsula.
Short game, long game
Beyond the science of the soil, the aesthetic pleasure of a garden can do wonders of a more subjective nature. “One good thing is that you get immediate gratification,” said Stevens. “You just reap the benefits of your work.”
Confederate jasmine is a climbing plant that produces fragrant, star-shaped flowers. File/Tony Bertauski/Provided
This summer, there are plenty of plants available to provide such an instant kick. When it comes to climbing vines, fig vines and jasmine, frequently the fabric of Charleston gardens, are fast growers and are evergreen, so can be enjoyed throughout the year. There are flowers like lilies and agapanthus that will do the trick, but Stevens warns against starting larger plants in the summer months as the heat can be stressful for them.
A closed-up doorway in Erin Stevens' courtyard becomes a perfect place to train jasmine. Surculus/provided
She recommends trying out native vines as well, which may not be year-round but that provide ecological benefits to bees and butterflies. These include a native passionflower that in the spring has a purple flower, as well as a trumpet flower, honeysuckle and yellow jessamine, South Carolina’s state flower, that all make an excellent habitats for pollinators.
Stevens also advises prepping for the long game, such as planting bulbs, particularly with the uncertainty of our current sheltering status. That way, there will be something blooming in the fall or winter. "We're lucky here to have temperate weather throughout the winter."
The greater good
The simple greening of a plot works to the greater good, too. “We pulled ourselves away from a lot of natural systems … and I think we’re realizing that’s causing a lot of problems, from psychological and emotional problems to hydrological and flooding problems,” Stevens said, adding that there seems to be a return to some of the natural systems to repair them.
A bee explores a camellia in Hampton Park. File/Andrew J. Whitaker/Staff
Charleston is also exceptionally hospitable to gardeners. "We have such a great environment for growing plants," Stevens said. "We have a ton of sun. We have long days. We have a lot of rain, which can be frustrating when you're stuck at home, but it's crucial for growing plants."
Whether you’re looking up to a brighter, cleaner environment or just looking up to enjoy the flowers, there is no time like the present.
