Mary Smith House Garden

The Federal-style house was built circa 1799 and is a three-story stuccoed brick Charleston single house, which was formerly situated 100 feet north of its present site.  The current garden enthusiast began restoration of the house and garden in 2015.

Today you enter the garden through an iron gate arched by Confederate jasmine on Laurens Street and are greeted on either side with borders of white azaleas underplanted with farfugium and white caladiums.  Further on is a large manicured Italian-style garden consisting of four large parterres of Asiatic jasmine surrounded by Japanese boxwood.  In the middle of the parterres is a rectangular space filled with four large lavender hydrangeas in terra cotta pots and a water lily-filled pool..  To the left is a small pergola covered in Confederate jasmine.  In front of the perforated brick wall, the owners have planted a podocarpus hedge providing more privacy. 

As you approach the house you see three-tiered privet topiaries and on either side of the wide steps, railings covered by Confederate jasmine and two lovely small knot gardens of ‘Kingsville’ boxwood, dwarf mondo grass, and seasonal plantings.  Ligustrum hedges form a backdrop.

To your immediate right is a small French inspired garden room with trellises covered in Confederate jasmine, together with an olive tree, camellias, boxwood, and annuals.  As you leave the garden via the drive, to your left is a hedge of clipped podocarpus with beds of azaleas and two sago palms and large gardenia standards surrounding a bench.

At the end of the day the owner enjoys the peace and beauty of their garden from the piazzas.  They hope you will also enjoy the garden from the lower piazza as well.

Open Days 2023: Saturday, May 27
Hours: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.