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SPRINGTIME TRIP TO SOUTH CAROLINA STIMULATES ALL SENSES
Charleston, S.C., our tour guide explained, is one of the most sensual of all U.S. cities.
Standing at the front of our tour carriage and holding the reigns of John, a Belgian draft horse, our tour guide said it's easy for a person's senses to go into overload from the sights, sounds and smells of springtime in this historic city.
As he spoke, the powerful fragrance of Jasmine and India Hawthorne wafted through the air from nearby antebellum homes. The term antebellum, by the way, refers to architecture constructed between 1812 and the Civil War (1862).
My visit in early May was indeed stimulating to my senses. And yet, the locals said, "You should have been here two weeks ago when the rhododendrons, dogwoods and azaleas were in full bloom!"
I was surprised to learn that Charleston enjoyed 100 prosperous years of growth prior to the Civil War. The city grew vigorously during those years, we were told, because the WASP (white Anglo-Saxon protestant) slave-owning culture built bountiful plantations (42 in greater Charleston), which produced and exported rice, indigo and long-staple cotton. These products were exported out of Charleston's thriving maritime port. Many of Charleston's homes were built of red brick produced on plantations as a cash crop. Early in its history, Charleston even maintained a city wall to keep out pirates, French and Spaniards.
One of the highlights of my visit was a tour of Magnolia Plantations and Gardens. Operated on a non-profit basis today, the plantation has a history dating back to the late 1600s and is the oldest major public garden in America (open to the public since 1870). Early in the 20th century, Magnolia Gardens was listed as one of the three must-see attractions in the U.S., along with Niagara Falls and the Grand Canyon.
The plants and flowers of the Old and New Testament are exhibited in Magnolia's Biblical Garden. A cross-shaped garden representing the 12 disciples features plants of the New Testament, while a star-shaped Star of David garden with 12 sections commemorates the tribes of Israel.
My wife and I attempted to find out way through Magnolia's horticultural maze, planted with Camellia sasanquas and holly and patterned after a maze designed by Henry VIII. The quarter mile of intricate paths lead mostly to dead ends but one path leads to a center square (we never found it) and another leads to the exit. Henry reportedly used his maze to "lure frustrated young maidens."
Our group of eight stopped at a half dozen roadside stands displaying sweetgrass baskets, a rich tradition of the Mount Pleasant (a suburb of Charleston) community for more than 300 years. Slaves who came from West Africa brought the art of crafting sweetgrass baskets to the area. The art has been passed from mother to daughter to granddaughter and today is one of the oldest art forms of African origin in the U.S.
During the days of plantations and slavery, the baskets were in great demand for winnowing rice ("fanner" baskets) and for storing and transporting vegetables, grain, cotton, fish and shellfish. Slave owners profited from the baskets by selling them to other plantation owners.
Baskets were made from the pliable sweetgrass (Muhlenbergia filipes) because of its pleasant fragrance. Finished baskets smell like fresh hay. Other basket materials include bulrush, long-leaf pine needles and palmetto leaves.
Our group purchased baskets at a roadside basket stand operated by Marie Rouse, who informed us she learned the art from her mother and has taught it to her daughters. Basketmaking, Marie said, often involved the entire family. Men and boys gather the materials, while women and girls "sewed" the baskets. For even the most experienced basketmaker, she said, a simple design can take up to 12 hours to complete. A larger, more complex design can take as long as two or three months.
Formally called Lowcountry coil basketry, the sweetgrass baskets are purchased today by museums and art collectors throughout the world. Some baskets that were made more than a century ago are still in use.
We enjoyed learning about sweetgrass baskets from Marie. Her smile and friendly manner transformed us into eager buyers. The baskets aren't cheap, but we viewed our purchases as an investmentÖhey, didn't they say the baskets would still be functional 100 years from now?
Besides, I've always liked the smell of fresh hay.
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PUTTING DOWN ROOTS:
A Delightful Blend of
Gardening Wisdom, Wit
and Whimsy
$10 + $2 for shipping
by Cliff Johnson |
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