Explore new additions to historic gardens

The month of May is surprisingly rich in celebrations. The party starts on May 5 with Cinco de Mayo, the Mexican holiday that Americans have wholeheartedly embraced, then continues with Mother’s Day and, at the end of the month, summer’s official kickoff, Memorial Day. But there’s another, quieter, celebration tucked into the month, and it occurs on Friday, May 8: National Public Gardens Day.

There are a lot of reasons to love public gardens. For one, they provide a natural habitat for bees and other beneficial insects. They’re good for birds, too, who can partake of the all-you-can-eat-buffet those insects provide then head to a nearby nest for a nap. Public gardens can be inspirational as well, providing ideas for transforming residential yards into pretty patches of flowers and greenery. Best of all, you can enjoy what they have to offer without ever having to pull a weed or drag a muddy hose from one bed to the next.

To celebrate National Public Gardens Day, Historic Columbia is offering free access to their 5 gardens – which comprise about 14 landscaped acres – all day long. If you’ve never visited the gardens at Robert Mills House, Hampton-Preston Mansion, Seibels House, Woodrow Wilson Family Home and Mann-Simons Outdoor Museum, this is your excuse to take a lunchtime stroll through some of Columbia’s loveliest spaces. It’s also a chance to take a first look at the new children’s garden at Hampton-Preston Mansion, which features benches, swings, lovely plantings and, soon, a gazebo set with a water feature.

For more information about Historic Columbia Foundation’s gardens, visit historiccolumbia.org

Katie McElveen, Special to The State

This story was originally published May 7, 2015 at 9:03 PM with the headline "Explore new additions to historic gardens."