Flower enthusiasts will gather at a new fall festival in celebration of gardening and floral design at a picturesque park in downtown Charleston.
The Charleston Parks Conservancy is gearing up to launch the inaugural Bloom Charleston festival on Oct. 17 and 18. The two-day event features internationally renowned speakers, immersive horticultural experiences, hands-on inspiration stations, a curated plant and garden book sale, live music and more.
The Charleston Parks Conservancy has been working hard to beautify Colonial Lake. The inaugural Bloom Charleston festival invites the public to come explore the new garden spaces.
Bloom Charleston/Provided
The main celebration takes place from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 18 with a free public festival at Colonial Lake. Festivities include expert talks with Mr. Plant Geek and Better Homes and Gardens Editor Miranda Crowell, docent-led garden tours, book signings at the Buxton Books Garden Book Store, children’s activities and art demonstrations.
The highlight of Bloom Charleston is the debut of the three-acre Idea Garden, a beautifully restored public space designed to spark creativity and empower visitors to create sustainable, inspiring gardens of their own. As guests walk through the area, they’ll get details on which plants are used and why as well as conditions for growth.
“We know that folks in the Lowcountry are very excited to share their gardening challenges and ideas,” said Darlene Heater, executive director and CEO of the Charleston Parks Conservancy. “We hope that this event brings inspiration and learning and maybe a little bit of excitement about what you can do in your own garden based on what you’ve learned.”
The first-ever Bloom Charleston day festival takes place Oct. 18 at Colonial Lake.
Bloom Charleston/Provided
Throughout the day, attendees will hear from several speakers on a variety of topics including flora arrangements, interior design, cultivating biodiversity and the do’s and dont’s of gardening in the Lowcountry. In the afternoon there will be a performance from the Charleston Symphony Orchestra Brass Quintet.
There will be an artist painting en plain air, hosted walking tours that teach people how to take optimal iPhone photos of outdoor gardens and a live topiary demonstration. At the conclusion of the festival, the topiary will be planted in West Ashley at the Conservancy’s food forest in the Ardmore neighborhood. The kid zone, sponsored by Southeastern Wildlife Exposition, will be about all things creepy-crawly found in soil as well as education around soil.
Comments are closed.