Heirloom gardening program May 10 at Rose Hill Plantation

UNION - Rose Hill Plantation State Historic Site will host "Vegetables and Roses - Heirloom Gardening" on Saturday, May 10, from 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

The plantation was more than just a large producer of cash crops in the Upstate. The people living and working there had to eat, too, and gardens were a significant component of plantation life. Visitors to the May 10 program will see first-hand the preparation and planting in a spring and summer garden.

Heirloom vegetables are those that are open pollinated, reproduce themselves from seed, and are at least 50 years old from the time of first introduction. Modern hybrid vegetables do not reproduce well from their own seeds, and so specialized seeds must be purchased each planting season.

A Master Gardener will be on hand to discuss plot preparation, planting techniques, plant selections, growing techniques, and learn more about the opportunity to explore the past, from a perspective everyone can understand.

Ornamental gardens were also a part of the landscape at the plantation. Gov. Gist was an avid gardener, and the very name of the plantation came from the ornamental rose gardens he planted and tended. A Master Gardener will talk about the care, selection and planting of heirloom roses.

The program is part of the 75th anniversary celebration of the S.C. State Parks Service.

The cost of the program is $5 per person, and attendance is limited to the first 40 to register. The program will begin at the garden behind the kitchen house to the rear of the mansion.

For more information or to register, call 864.427.5966.