Are you a homeowner looking to increase your curb appeal? Or perhaps looking to create a peaceful backyard refuge for family and friends? Whether you have experience gardening flowers or you are a novice to the club, South Carolina is a wonderful place to grow a variety of blooms all year long.
Tucked away in the historic district of Camden, you’ll find a paradise that Parrish Rabon knows simply as her backyard. Parrish is an avid gardener, her yard including both a cutting garden and a pollinator garden. She recently completed the Clemson University Master Gardener program and has a wealth of knowledge, resources, and experience when it comes to cultivating a beautiful landscape.
Regarding springtime flowers, Parrish adores snapdragons and larkspur. Both of these uniquely cone-shaped blossoms love cool weather—40℉ nights and 60℉ days—and have been in her garden throughout the winter as seedlings. They are low maintenance, only requiring pruning if they begin to look yellow or dry, but producing enough blooms to be cut, arranged in a vase, and set on the table as a splash of happy color. With airy stalks of cool-toned blossoms, larkspur adds a gracefulness to Parrish’s garden. This flower looks good in masses or mixed with other perennials and annuals. As an added bonus, larkspur blossom seeds can be extricated and reseeded to be enjoyed again and again in years to come.
But Parrish could not talk about springtime gardening without mentioning the beauty of spring bulbs. Planted back in the fall, these plants are breathtaking as they emerge with the life of spring, promising warmer and longer days ahead. Daffodils, hyacinths, and tulips are among this group, sprouting up in dazzling shades of pink, yellow, red, peach, white, and purple and filling the air with a fragrant sweetness. While tulips bloom once only, daffodils and hyacinths return each year. So when they start to droop, you don’t have to say “good-bye” forever. They are truly a gift that keeps on giving.
While South Carolina is naturally hospitable for year-round gardening, you may find your fair share of problems to solve as well. Parrish has found that deer will sometimes find their way into her yard to enjoy a snack, so she is particularly excited about her new venture into growing Lenten Roses and other flowers known as Hellebores. Named for the time in which they bloom, Lent—in the traditional Christian calendar year, the forty-day period before Easter—these long-lived plants not only boast elegantly subtle colors, but are also deer resistant! And of course, as gardeners prepare for summer blooms, the South Carolina heat must be considered. If you have a partially shaded yard, Parrish recommends growing hydrangeas; these billowing bursts of color fill her yard with hundreds of blooms every summer. If you plan to travel or have a packed summer schedule and are looking for low-maintenance flowers, zinnias, lantana, and verbena may be just the fit for you. These plants produce gorgeous flowers with little to no care required.
Be sure to visit Mill Creek Greenhouses on Leesburg Road and Seven Oaks Plant Shop on St. Andrews Road for your gardening needs as you care for your springtime blooms and plan for summer.
Mill Creek Greenhouses grow and sell plants that are native to the area, so you can be confident that your purchases will not only beautify your yard, but will benefit the environment. The greenhouses are a kind of attraction in and of themselves, with a wide variety of quality plants that will inspire as you look to fill your yard with life and color. As another option, Seven Oaks Plant Shop offers excellent seasonal plants at affordable prices. They provide a wide selection of annuals, perennials, indoor plants, and herbs—not to mention exceptional customer service and gardening insight.
Parrish’s love for her garden is evident, a personal joy that she cannot help but share with others. “It is truly a miracle to watch flowers grow! Something as simple and plain as a dahlia tuber that looks like a potato can withstand the elements of nature and transform into the most beautiful bloom.” She recalls reading studies about the brain’s response to the act of digging into the earth. Simple contact with soil has a positive impact on mental health, increasing serotonin levels and improving overall brain function. So spending some time in your yard this spring definitely needs to be on your to-do list. Not just for your curb appeal or for your community, but for you! Get out and enjoy the beautiful South Carolina spring; you won’t regret it.
Follow Parrish Rabon on Instagram at @aflowerkeeper for more inspiration for your garden!
Article by Rebecca Jenkins
Photos Courtesy of Parrish Rabon