What is an Idea Garden?

When the Charleston Parks Conservancy was founded 18 years ago, its mission was to ensure that all residents of Charleston had access to beautiful, safe and engaging parks. Over the last two decades, the execution of our mission has evolved to include free community programming and education to further connect people with their parks.   

Bloom Charleston and the Idea Garden are the next step in the Conservancy’s mission to connect people to their parks through inspiration and education. The challenges at Colonial Lake, including saltwater and freshwater flooding, changing conditions through loss of trees to storms and other natural causes, and different microclimates are all conditions that gardeners in Charleston and low-lying areas throughout the Southeast grapple with at their own homes. Through the Idea Garden, the Conservancy will showcase how challenging conditions can be addressed and mitigated AND that it can be done through a beautiful garden.     

Meticulous research and creating beautiful and sustainable gardens only go so far. Through the Idea Garden, the Conservancy will give the community tools to translate the inspiring landscapes they see in our parks to their own homes. Colonial Lake will come alive during Bloom Charleston through docent led inspiration stations where attendees can ask an expert questions, plant lists by microclimate to easily enable guests to modify their own spaces and even a Plants from your Parks Plant Sale where you can purchase the exact selection of plants that you see to take home and create your own beautiful and sustainable gardens.

Like all Conservancy programs, we strive to meet every person inspired by our parks where they are. Whether you are a new gardener, an experienced gardener who just moved to Charleston from a different climate or a Southern gardening expert, we strive to teach you how to create beautiful, sustainable gardens for a changing world. 

The educational tools the Conservancy provides through the Idea Garden will live year-round through educational park signage, online resources like plant lists, care tips, and updates.

 You can now view the plant list for the Idea Garden at Colonial Lake on the Conservancy's Colonial Lake project page.

Don’t forget to RSVP to let us know you are coming to Bloom Charleston!