The 35th annual All Saints Garden Tour will be held Saturday, May 18, showcasing six distinctive gardens on a self-guided tour from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Ganzia rigens, also known as treasure flowers, grow in the Driftwood Garden on Hilton Head Island.
All of this year’s gardens, from cottage gardens to larger estate gardens, are new to the Tour and are located on Hilton Head Island and in Bluffton. Each $45 ticket includes the Tour and the new Artisans Market. Luncheon at The Seabrook is an additional option.
The first garden, in Rose Dhu Plantation off May River Road, is a must-see. Since 2019, the garden owners have transformed a dense woodland forest into multiple productive gardens and orchards. The stunning gardens incorporate an assortment of seasonal vegetables, flowers, and herbs creatively enclosed to deter the deer.
Two of the cottage gardens are owned by artists who have incorporated their art into their gardens.
The Driftwood Garden brims with salvaged treasures washed up from the sea and a vibrant tapestry of flowers and plants. There’s a unique variety of flowers, including flowering cactus, Crinum lilies, and Platycerium ferns.
Another small garden reflects the creativity of the owner. Her art is incorporated throughout the garden and the plants are part of her artwork. She has imaginatively used plants as screens. Nestled into small spaces, you’ll find plants combined with art that magnifies each element.
After Hurricane Matthew, a local retirement community refurbished its entire landscape. Enjoy the live oaks, azaleas, ferns, magnolias, camellias, palm trees and loquat tress that grace the campus. Stroll along scenic covered boardwalks and stop to relax in the ground floor lobbies of their independent living buildings. Gardens of annuals and perennials, as well as a butterfly garden, add pops of color throughout the property.
Although in a petite setting, one garden is a National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat, recognized for the owner’s commitment to sustainably provide essential elements of wildlife habitat. Enter through gates into the enchanting gardens of the Tabby Cottage. In this refined garden, guests will find birds nesting and fox squirrels playing among the flowers and grasses. There’s a private area where herbs and flowers are carefully tended.
In one of the larger gardens, shaded gardens flanking the driveway entrance entice the long view to the formal gardens surrounding the multi-tiered, split circular stairs to the home’s front porch. Walking the drive around to the right leads guests past the 100-plus-year-old hanging staghorn fern. Camellias, azaleas, and hydrangeas line the pebbled sidewalk to the eagle’s eye view of Port Royal Sound. There, the pool gardens give heightened color to the ebbs and flows of the natural setting.
Plein air artists will be painting in some of the gardens. Master gardeners will be in one garden to answer gardening-related questions. Several gardens will have a display showing the standards for certifying a yard as a Certified Wildlife Habitat from the National Wildlife Federation and the Hilton Head Audubon Society.
In addition to the lovely gardens, a new feature has been added to the Tour. An Artisans Market, featuring more than 30 artisans, will fill Gordon Mann Hall at All Saints Episcopal Church from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The church is located at 3001 Meeting St. on Hilton Head. These talented Lowcountry artisans will delight guests with their creative talents, including paintings, handmade jewelry, metal, wood, shells, pottery, wreaths, home décor items from pillows to centerpieces, and books from the Pat Conroy Literary Center.
Of course, our annual Bake Sale goodies will be present. A big attraction this year is a Silent Auction with great items to bid on. (Can’t make it to the tour? Stop by the market; no ticket needed.)
A Garden Tour Luncheon will be available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The Seabrook on Hilton Head. It’s easy to plan your lunch break by purchasing a ticket at https://tinyurl.com/bx73ss96. The Seabrook is on the tour, so plan to enjoy the stunning gardens and have a scrumptious lunch on your stop.
All net proceeds from the tour will be given to seven small 501(c)(3) charities in Beaufort and Jasper Counties that focus on hunger, homelessness, literacy, and aging. Charities receiving the 2024 funds include Antioch Education Center for their Mobile Food Pantry for Seniors, BackPack Buddies of Bluffton & Hardeeville, Hunger Coalition of the Lowcountry (Backpack Buddies of Hilton Head), Sandalwood Community Food Pantry, Family Promise of Beaufort County, HHI Safe Harbor, and St. Stephens UMC Outreach Food Pantry.
Over the years, more than $500,000 has been given to local charities from this annual event, bringing validation to our motto: “Through the Beauty of a Garden … A Gift to the Community.”
