SPRING Garden Views of CHARLESTON, South Carolina

 

Walking through the downtown historic neighborhoods of Charleston, South Carolina is something every gardener, and garden lover should do. So many ideas, so much inspiration, and since land is at such a premium here....home owners seem to go out of their way to cram as much beauty as possible in their yards. In this entry I will show some small gardens I found, some sights and glimpses of overflowing gardens, and the a little something about the Dock Street Theater ( the oldest  theater in the USA ), and give you a head's up on the best candy shop in the city.

Here we go:

Lots of entry gates into side gardens, this one was left open

Famous cobblestone streets here, these are not everywhere, but enough for you to see them now and again

Lots of small statues on top of fence columns here

Favorite views you can see, are through the typical wrought iron gates and fencing ....into the gardens. I am always mesmerized by these glimpses into someone's gardens.

 Another side gate leading into a yard

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I took a picture of this lovely windowbox planter, and then coming around the side...I startled the homeowner, who was gardening in her small front yard. the pictures below are from her garden, I believe her name was Barbara, because after I talked with her a bit...and I was walking off, I heard a neighbor walk up and say  her name.

She likes to use monkey grass as much as I do ! Great for bordering here.

Goodbye to Barbara's garden and off to more !

Japanese maple overshadowing foxgloves & boxwoods.

Opposite side , flanking the other Japanese maple grouping.

Lots of center round accent areas in the gardens here, anyone can do this at their home.

Overflowing azaleas

Lady Banks rose is everywhere here

I loved this, it reminds me of an area in my front yard that I made a circular accent area last Summer.

Here was a rose garden with brick herringbone accent pathway

I took this shot near the Coast Guard station there on the Battery. A bunch of women were having a tea party on the front porch of this house, I called out that I was simply going to take a picture of the garden in front...they all jumped up and hid. They had dresses and hats on.Too funny.

A renegade rebel homeowner on the Battery in a gazillion dollar house , that decided to give the Historic Foundation a thumb to the nose and put two of these out front , flanking the porch. A neighbor down the street has two pigs on their porch. I was thinking, amusing for us to see, but if you owned a 6-20 million dollar home on the Battery , and had your house done in the beautiful traditional Charleston style...then this wouldn't be so funny everyday.
Guess I'm a fuddy-duddy about Charleston showing it's true glory.
At least these are better than the two large pigs two houses down.

 This entry is getting too long, I have about 20 more pictures , so I will make another entry later. I am going out to my yard and trim some of my bushes, with my trusty garden companion shown below.

 She can look rather regal when she's not being such a spaz of a lab , like she typically is.
More later, bless you today !
Gina

" These commandments I give to you today are to be in your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down, and when you get up. " Deuteronomy 6:6-7

Divided ALLEGIANCES...GOD Says CHOOSE

       

Going to a major league baseball game is FUN. I absolutely love going to these games . I only went to my first one about 2 1/2 years ago, our little boy is a Atlanta Braves fan and my husband is a die-hard New York Yankees fan ( since the days of Mickey Mantle...wayyy back ).

We went this Summer to the series between the Braves and the Yankees, we were really looking forward to it.

Boy, am I one DUMB woman.

On one hand I have my precious little 8 year old boy, our little slugger who loves Chipper Jones , and loves the Braves. On the other hand I have my husband who has not seen the Yankees play in person for a good 40 years, and has always been a Yankee's big-time fan. 

They were both very excited.

The first game was great, I wear my Yankees shirt and Braves cap the first game, the Braves win ! Our little boy was on cloud nine ! I was cheering for both teams during the game , for Derek Jeter who my husband loves, Chipper who my little boy loves...and I love to see A-Rod hit.

My husband is always a good sport, so he was fine with the Yankees losing the first game ( sort-of ).

     

Then, the second game rolled around...we were all in a good mood. Unfortunately for me and my son...our next seats were in the middle of some LOUD Yankees fans...and the Yankees beat the Braves the second night pretty bad. I had to sit there, with my husband thrilled HIS team was winning and playing well ( which made me happy for him ) ...and then look down and see tears rolling down my little boy's face. I gave every Yankee's fan a dirty look when they got too obnoxious...I know they thought I was crazy as I had a Yankees cap on and a Braves shirt that night.

Bad night , with a sad boy and a happy/sad husband as he doesn't like to see his slugger like that either.

Third night..I was so stressed out by the last and final night of the series ( hoping secretly the Braves  would win ), and of course we get smack in the middle of another bunch of loud Yankee's fans again. Which of course if we were just at a Yankee's game , and no Braves...all would be fine.

But...

I had serious DIVIDED Allegiances.

  

The game ended with the Braves losing...when I was out getting ice-cream for everyone , I could hear the Yankees score over and over...and my heart was sinking. I went back to our seats, my husband looked up at me...happy and sad all at once in his eyes. Our little boy , very sad..more tears.

It was TORTURE.

When we left, some Yankee fans were high-fiving everyone who had a Yankees shirt or hat on...they high-fived my husband, started to high-five my little boy...then withdrew...and said' Oh, sorry little buddy" , when they saw his Atlanta cap and shirt. Then saw me and raised their hands...looked at me to join them...and I just shook my head and put my arm around my little boy. They looked at my different shirt and cap , then at him and me and said,

" Oh, Sorry...DIVIDED Allegiance huh...good Mom. "

It all made me think of how we all are...God tells us to Choose...He gives us this day...CHOOSE. ( "  I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live ; that you may love the LORD your God, that you may cling to Him, for He is your  life and the length of your days..." Deuteronomy 30:18,19 ).

I felt like I could NOT choose.  I wanted BOTH teams to win...impossible in reality. I think that is how most of us feel during some serious times of either judgment calls, moral lapses, emotional lapses , or physical lapses . Paralyzed, feeling unable to choose. Wanting both sides of something to continue.
Flip-flopping.

Wishy-washy.

God tells us to choose, but most of us try to hold onto divided allegiances, one foot on both sides of the line. Not committing completely to one way or the other.

Holding on tight.
To both.

One foot in the world...one foot in God's kingdom.

Holding on, a balancing act that will eventually cause us to fall , as it cannot be maintained forever. We cannot be strong enough to maintain duplicity, it weakens our core.

CHOOSE.

I know what I SHOULD do in these circumstances.

Get off the fence , put both feet firmly on one side of an issue that is testing me. Close up those options we always try to leave open...just in case.

CHOOSE.

I have not mastered this yet , but awareness of a problem is the beginning of the solution , right ?

I pray that all of us can choose for the truer purpose...for what God sees is best for us, for HIS glory above all.

CHOOSE.

Bless you and your choices,

Gina

" Never tire of doing what is right. " 2 Thessalonians 3:13