Lowcountry Paradise



Covered with palmetto trees, hydrangeas and Lilly of the Valley, South Carolina resembles a swampy Garden of Eden. One of the best places to catch a glimpse of the state's natural beauty is at the National Historic Landmark of Brookgreen Gardens. Nestled between Myrtle Beach and Pawleys Island, the 9,200-acre outdoor museum boasts swamps, marshes,sculptures, fountains an aviary and a zoo. I had no idea how massive the place was until I arrived and was handed back my ticket because it's good for 7 consecutive days. You need a day to devote to just one of the half dozen areas so I chose the sculpture garden and the lowcountry zoo.




At the zoo filled with indigenous animals, we saw a red fox snuggled in a tree.



Eagles perched on a branch.



And a fountain decked with loons in flight.



The Huntington Sculpture Garden opened as the country's first public sculpture garden in 1931 and continues to display one of the most diverse collections of 1,200 works by 350 sculptors. The garden offers a broad range of figurative pieces, from bronze animals, to lowcountry icons like this depiction of a plantation worker.




As you would expect in a Garden of Eden, there's also lots of classical nakedness. I thought this piece with women draped in all different directions was the most intriguing work I witnessed.



More traditional Roman-influenced nudes were often highlighted, like this statue of an imposing couple.



This pool with Diana on the chase was one of my favorites.

Comments

Catherine said…
I have never been to South Carolina, but it looks beautiful and I would love to visit..These gardens and sculptures really appeal...enjoy your trip to Cozumel next week - hope you find some authentic mexico charm..
Wendy said…
I've haven't been to South Carolina in years. I would really like to take a road trip south.
Fly Girl said…
Catherine, I think you'd love South Carolina, it has a charming culture. I'm keeping my fingers crossed about finding authenticity in Cozumel...

Wendy, South Carolina has had a lot of great changes in recent years, you should plan that road trip.
Wow, they certainly like their statues:) I actually love South Carolina. I drove through most of ages ago going to Hilton Head Island. I'm a fan of southern hospitality and landscapes.
Jean-Luc Picard said…
So green and beautifully artistic. It looks well worth visiting.
Fly Girl said…
Marina, the original owner was a sculptor so she filled the gardens with her work and other artists. I was in Hilton Head and a host of Sea Islands last year, wonderful hopitality and landscape is right!

Jean-Luc, It's a great place to visit if you ever come to South Caolina!
I love that nakedness, at least it has curves :-). And I adored that tour, loads of great shots and a cute little fox cuddle up on a tree. Many thanks.

Greetings from London.
Fly Girl said…
Ha! Of course a scorpio like you loves nakedness.
Amanda said…
Cool that the zoo has animals indigenous to the area - is it filled purely with indigenous or does it have "foreigners" too?
Fly Girl said…
Amanda, only indgenous critters, the lowcountry has enough wildlife that there's no need to import foreigners!
jessiev said…
beautiful! it looks SO VERY Green there. lovely statues - thanks for sharing!
Candice said…
I love the photos. The sculptures look breathtaking. Thank you for sharing this.

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