Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1922-04-26
Magnolia Gardens Well Worth
u th,e Editor Of TIe State !:

Ss1S& 3 - ssTs
Visit.
To the Editor Of The State:
Q wish all the readers of The State
might see South Carolina marvellous
offering to lovers of.lnature.
Magnolia Gardens is situated on
the beautiful Ashley rives, II miles
above Charleston. There is no boat
line in operation, so the only ap-
ptoach is by land. For quarter of a
mile before the house appears the ap-
proach leads through an avenue of
magnificent, stately, moss draped
oaks, which to all appearances are
7 co-eval with the river.
A number of guides are in waiting
at the prettily wrought iron gates.
The admission, S1.5Olets one through
the gates into fairy land. A little
book published some years ago at
tempted to prove this spot to be the
site of the Garden of Eden. A visit
almost leads one to- accept the au-'
thor's arguments as final.
If the impatience of the bus driver
can be overcome, the day can be
spent in the gardens. This we were
fortunate enough to do. We sat for
hours under camelia iaponica, 25
feet tall, in the height of its bloom
ing season, with perfect, double
white blossom on the end of every
twig. Some of the other .iaponicas
were red, some red and white, white
and red, pink, pink and white, white
and pink, these mixtures in all the
shades of tred and all the shaies of
pink, and all the mixtures in the sim
gle, double and very double varieties.
Japonicas were everywhere; azaleas
were everywhere.
Such rioting of color surely is no.
where else on earth. The azaleas had
no green leaves. They were solid
mass of color, and in every shade "a
florist ever had. Some of the trees
were 25 feet tall with radius of 20
feet. There were avenues of them,
and, circles and just plain rows
some on the edges of the two 'beauti-
full, serene lakes, and some on the
lovely rivers brink, and the reaec-
tions, were as gorgeous as the trees
themselves. The white ones were
particularly beautiful, and SO were
all the rest. The single blossoms were
as large as orchids, and niassed SO
tightly that not stem of all the
plant could,be seen from the top of
the tree to the pretty green lawn
1around it. When examined closely
one saw that some Of the blossoms
grew in tight punches, and some
grew in sheets, all presenting this
solid mass of color as an immense
shield.
Then there were the Cherokee ros-
es, climbing to the tops of the tall
moss covered trees, blooming pro-
fusely, reveling in refecting them
selves in the clear waters of placid
lakes. The yellow and white banksias
had covered immense trees SO long
ago that one would never have
thought of tree having been there.
The purple and white wistarias were
in full bloom, and white wistaria
stem was larger than the trunk of the
tree upon which it climbed.
Among the trees of interest was a
tall redwood, which had been trans
planted firm a California forest.
Standing beneath it one can but won
der hoy tall it will be when the
trunk is large enough for horsemen
to ride through. In the garden were
many magnolia trees, not yet in
bloom, and immense stately oaks,
all draped in gray moss, very long
and waving, clean, and dreamily.
beautiful, as if mo particle of dust or
smoke had ever found its way into
that paradise.
As the shadows heightened all ma
ture was in harmony with the close
5of a perfect day.
Mrs. c. J. Thompson. ;.
Dirty Eggs on the Farm.
=. -JUh;1a +bore aro a few epp pro-