Charleston Volunteers Grow 60,000 Flowers for City Parks

Les Schwartz says she feels closer to God in Charleston's city greenhouse than anywhere else, and after watching thousands of tiny seeds become vibrant flowers, it's easy to see why.

For over two decades, about 30 volunteers have gathered at Charleston's city greenhouses to cultivate more than 60,000 annuals and hundreds of perennials each year. These flowers fill Hampton Park, the Pineapple Fountain, and dozens of other public spaces across downtown Charleston, James Island, and West Ashley.

The program, called Stewards of Hampton Park, supports the City of Charleston Horticulture Division and has been running since 2000. Sarah Robinson, the horticulture program coordinator, oversees both the volunteers and the growing seasons that keep the city blooming year round.

"Our mission is to beautify Charleston's public parks while cultivating community pride and involvement," Robinson said. "We're responsible for 28 downtown beds, 18 beds in Hampton Park, and several more across James Island and West Ashley."

The volunteers start each season by hand planting seeds into trays with 288 tiny cells, then carefully transplant seedlings into four inch pots. In the parks, they weed, prune, deadhead spent flowers, and install the new plants they've grown.

The Ripple Effect

The program saves Charleston thousands of dollars every year. Buying mature plants from nurseries costs ten times more than growing from seed packets, which average just $5 to $10 for 100 seeds.

Combined with volunteer hours, Robinson estimates the city saves the equivalent of at least one full time employee annually while accomplishing more than one person could do alone. The program maintains 46 flower beds across the city without the hefty price tag of contracted landscaping services.

Schwartz, one of the program's first volunteers, grew up playing in Hampton Park and sees her work as giving back. "Watching little seeds grow into lush plants is magic, religious, stunning, and a pleasure," she said.

Robinson runs two main growing seasons: spring varieties like snapdragons and pansies start in January, while summer flowers like zinnias and marigolds begin in August. Even without gardening experience, anyone can join the program and learn hands on from long time volunteers.

"I've yet to work in a park where someone passing by didn't thank me for keeping it pretty," Schwartz said. "We put tiny seeds in tiny cells, and before you know it, they're the season's best colors."

When Robinson sees engagement photos taken in Hampton Park or downtown flower beds appear on Instagram, she thinks about the volunteers who made it possible. "So many people had a literal hand in making those flower beds as lovely as they are," she said.

The greenhouses welcome volunteers Tuesday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon, turning neighbors into gardeners and seeds into city wide beauty.