2001 Festival of Gardens Photo Gallery
2001 Garden Tour
For the last decade, Columbia Green has sponsored a Festival of Gardening featuring tours of local gardens, a luncheon and a guest speaker. This year, the tour featured nine local gardens. For those who missed the tour, we have placed photos from the tour here, so that anyone can take the virtual tour!
Garden 1
The beautiful green tiled roof and wisteria covered arbor in front of the garage give a hint of the elegance of this garden. Once you enter the backyard, you will feel transported to another place in time. The view from the upper terrace is breathtaking. Surrounded by old oaks and azaleas, you will gaze upon a beautiful garden, pond and fountain. To the rear of the pond is an exquisite arbor and bench, where, after a busy day, the owners like to sit, share interesting stories and feed the fish.
Garden 2
The privacy of this lovely garden is guarded by surrounding walls and tall trees with shrubs on all sides. Once inside you will find all sorts of interesting nooks that beg investigating. A shady side yard filled with fatsia, hydrangeas, and children's garden furniture feels like the perfect place to have a tea party. A beautiful perennial border, complete with statues, likes along the brick driveway. You'll pass by a charming little playhouse on the way to the pool garden behind the house. Cine covered walls, a pool and a playful Pan fountain fill these intimate space.
Garden 3
You will fall in love with this house and garden, even at a distance. Picture perfect with its pale green brick and arched doorway, its no wonder that it was featured in Columbia Metropolitan Magazine! Entering the garden gate, the first thing that catches your eye is the exquisite vegetable garden on your right. Surrounded by a white picket fence and arch, it features and olive jar fountain in the center. You will pass by an her garden nestled near the back door, as you enter the pool area. The owners raised the sides of the pool and added swan statues to make it look more like an elegant fountain.
Garden 4
This charming Tudor style house has a brick and stucco walled garden. The metal gates resemble pineapples and invite you in to explore the many "rooms" found inside. Brick lined flower beds and large beautifully planted pots visually separate the activity areas: swimming, dining and basketball. All the necessary equipment and gardening tools are conveniently stored in a pool house that is attractive enough to live in!
Garden 5
This law professor by day and rock-loving avid gardener by night has created an incredibly personal green space, with help from his #1 fan, his artist wife. In this living labyrinth, stone paths will lead you past a "Garden of Eden" tree hung with bromeliads, rose covered arbors, fossils from England, artifacts from the yard (this house was built in 1913), irises in huge barrels, a fish pond, and an almost hidden art studio this is what happens when imagination find a place to play.
Garden 6
Meander down the winding path of this generous front yard for some tea or lemonade. A garden gate brings you into a charming side yard that is flanked by one of the best porches in Columbia. You wont want to leave the rocking chairs! Bird lovers will appreciate the wonderful variety of birdhouses in the backyard, as well as flourishing perennial borders. The owner swears by Miracle Grow! Check out the wonderful outside sink, retrieved from a salvage yard.
Garden 7
This house and garden are as inviting as they come. Your first glance at the front yard will make you want to come in for tea and many people do! This outgoing couple entertains frequently, and their lucky guests often find themselves strolling through one of the prettiest year-round gardens in Columbia. Outside seating, and a newly added summer house make it impossible to stay inside. A wonderful variety of plants and whimsical ornaments (check out the giant toad!) entertain the eye and lift the spirits.
Garden 8
Enter through the iron gate from the street and brush past the rosemary to an inner sanctum. The enclosed front, site and backyard gardens give a sense of privacy and peace to this special place. Peek around corners and discover new "rooms" among the lush vegetation. You will encounter a unique green lattice arbor and a wonderful old iron corridor gate along the way. Don't miss "Bear's Garden" and the ironwork "windows" in the brick wall that allows air to circulate through the intimate nooks. The unique statuary and fountains are a delight!
Garden 9
All of the beautiful old trees in this neighborhood make you feel like you're in the middle of a park. The front yard is home to large azaleas, tall oaks, and magnolias. You rose lovers will really enjoy this garden! There are climbing roses over the graceful arched gate that leads to a cozy enclosed patio on the right, and to the backyard where a formal rose garden is lovingly tended. This old fashioned garden features the best looking mature crape myrtles you'll find anywhere.