While spending Thanksgiving week at Twin Lakes COE Campground on Lake Hartwell near Clemson SC, we paid a visit to the South Carolina Botanical Garden. The Garden, located on the Clemson University campus, has 295 acres of woodlands, streams, gardens and miles of hiking trails. Of course, late November is not the best time to visit, but we still enjoyed our walk through the grounds.
The Vistors Center, known as the Fran Hanson Discovery Center, was formerly a Southern Living Showcase Home known as the Wren House. The center contains a gift shop and art gallery.
The view of the home's backyard, which in summer hosts numerous weddings.
Next to the Visitors Center is the Bob Campbell Geology Museum, which houses a collection of over 7000 rocks, minerals, fossils and gemstones. Outside the museum is an old mine head frame and ore tram car.
Located in the center of the Garden is the Hanover House. It was built in 1716 in Berkeley County SC. Threatened by flooding by Lake Moultrie in 1941, the house was moved to Clemson University and in 1994 it was moved again to the Botanical Garden. It has been restored as a monument of early French Huguenot colonial architecture.
Near the entrance to the Garden is the Garden of Cadet Life. Until 1955, Clemson was a military school from its inception in 1893 to 1955, and the Garden of Cadet Life commemorates the various aspects of cadet life. The bell on display was in the tower of Barracks #1 from 1893 to 1954, when Barracks #1 was razed.
There are a number of plaques around the plaza, each depicting and describing the Clemson cadet experience.
Our walk took us out around Heritage Pond. On the far side is the Cruikshank Hosta Garden.
The Garden is home to a large camellia collection.
This dome-shaped structure is known as the Crucible. Built of steel, cement and earth is normally covered in ferns, moss and native woodland plants. Inside, the stone spiral floor lies around a natural spring.
A natural area with rock placements.
