What would life be like without a trip to Brookgreen Gardens every spring? It would still be okay, but I would be missing one of the most colorful and beautiful displays of flowers each year. I didn’t always go to Brookgreen each spring, but it has been on my must do list each and every year for the past ten years. I obviously visit Brookgreen Gardens many times throughout the year since I have a membership there, but the spring time is my personal favorite.
As soon as you get off of Highway 17 and start the drive back to the gardens, you are immediately drawn to all of the beautiful azaleas that are growing along the driveway. Shades of pink are just popping out and letting you know that spring has arrived for another year. It is hard to judge exactly when the azaleas will be blooming, so I have to admit that I make several trips to the gardens when I believe the azaleas should be blooming just so I can try to catch them at their “peak”.
I have read that Brookgreen Gardens is made up of 9,127 acres. While I have never explored all of the acres that are there, I am just so thankful that I can explore as much as I want to. Part of the property is made up of a Lowcountry Zoo. It is one of five zoos in the state of South Carolina that is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. All of the animals that call Brookgreen home were either bred or kept in captivity, or they have injuries that would not allow them to live in the wild. One of my most favorite places in the zoo is the aviary. The cypress trees and birds were already there, so the aviary was just built around it.
An upcoming art exhibit has recently been installed on the grounds at Brookgreen. Bruce Munro’s “Southern Light” art installation has taken over many of the open spaces. I don’t know yet if I will actually go see it at night time, but Brookgreen is the only place in the eastern United States that people will have an opportunity to see the art in 2020. After seeing the setup during the day, my curiosity will probably win, and I’ll end up visiting it at night as well.
In addition to the azaleas being the star of the show at Brookgreen Gardens each spring for me, other flowers are just as special. Foxglove, snapdragons, irises, lilies, and water lilies make their appearance as well. I could spend hours just photographing all of the flowers that are in bloom if time allowed it. To me, the sculptures in the garden just seem to come to life when the flowers are blooming.
This is one of my favorite sculptures in the spring. It looks as if the child is riding the dolphin into the azaleas.This is located near the Old Kitchen. A beautiful pathway.Azaleas and sculptures merge together.This particular sculpture was removed last year for repair. I was happy to see it when it returned. It makes the picture in my opinion.Azaleas here, azaleas there, azaleas everywhere.Another pathway with azaleas.Azaleas and camellias on a pathway.Blooms were popping.The azaleas are always so pretty around this sculpture.This is one of the first sculptures that greets you to the gardens.Many people have sat beside him while he read his newspaper.Another one of my favorites. The horses are near the back of the gardens.I usually only see this sculpture when the azaleas are in bloom. She is not on my usual path that I take.I loved how the azaleas looked with this sculpture.The Insect Inn is part of the zoo.The aviary. You can easily be pooped on in here, but the birds are really beautiful.The bird on the chair put on a show for me. It posed in all directions.Usually the turtles will slide into the water, but the turtle in this picture was chilled out enjoying the sun.I love the foxglove around the sculptures.If you look closely, a water snake was sunning itself on the edge of the pool of water. The muses have been “social distancing” since before it was a modern day term. It’s hard to see in the photo, but the wisteria was absolutely gorgeous above the archway.The water lilies at Pegasus are starting to bloom.You can’t see it in this picture, but a frog was perched up on the larger lions face. It was so cute.Diana shooting her arrow.One of the sculptures that has a water feature in it. You can hear water flowing from it.My favorite tree to photograph at Brookgreen.I have always loved this one.An absolutely gorgeous pink rose.Yellow iris in the children’s garden.I liked how the light hit in this one.Another sculpture with a water flowing feature. This particular sculpture actually has a story behind it. Peacocks and nature.The signs are up for the spring and summer art installation.This new building really brought this sculpture to life. I have always liked it, but I saw it from a new perspective.This particular sculpture used to greet you at the gift shop, then from my understanding it went to the Myrtle Beach International Airport for a few years, and now it has finally returned home to Brookgreen.You can see all of the lights behind this sculpture just waiting to light up the night sky soon. I think it is going to be amazing.
Brookgreen Gardens is located at 1931 Brookgreen Drive in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina. Tickets are good for seven consecutive days from the date of purchase, so that is one of the best deals in the area. It is easy to spend a day or two at Brookgreen. There are three restaurants available on the property that can take care of your appetite, or you can bring a picnic with you and enjoy it in one of the designated picnic areas. Brookgreen is just a peaceful place to get away from the real world for a few hours.
My name is Donna. At an early age I had a love for photography. There was nothing more fun than taking film to a store and then having to wait several days to get the photographs back, sometimes only to find out that none of the pictures turned out the way I wanted them to. Quite a few years ago digital came out, and the rest is history. I can always be found with a camera around my neck, on my arm, or in my hand. I have always had a love for telling stories and sharing them with others. My imagination has always been a little on the wild side. About ten years ago, I decided one day that I wanted to start traveling, and I have never looked back. There is nothing in the world that I enjoy more than traveling and taking photographs.
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Beautifully written and very informative Donna! Keep up the good work. You keep us old people up to date and informed on all the places we can’t go see, like we would like to❤ thank you very very much❤
travelingthesoutheast.com 
Beautifully written and very informative Donna! Keep up the good work. You keep us old people up to date and informed on all the places we can’t go see, like we would like to❤ thank you very very much❤
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