by Doug and I made several stops to see birds in South Carolina, but mostly they eluded us. Our first stop was the wildlife drive in Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge in Jefferson, but it was a total dud. We saw almost nothing at all, never mind anything of interest.
As our next stop wasn’t open yet, we quick added in a stop at Kalmia Gardens in Hartsville. We walked a few miles of boardwalks and trails, not seeing very much, but at least there were some gardens reminding me that spring is in the air!
We ended the day with yet another walk at Wateree River Veterans Park in Lugoff with more of the same. At least we’re getting some steps in!
On another day we went to Congaree National Park, which has the tallest known example of 15 different species of trees, the largest concentration of champion trees in the world. I love a good tree, but the truth is, these weren’t very exciting. On the plus side, we had a nice walk and saw several birds, and even a racoon. We also several times heard barred owls calling to each other, but they were not to be seen.
In spite of heading south, we are still running into freezing temperatures and I’m running around with a puffy coat and gloves. I am so ready for the warmer temperatures of spring!
An interesting stop was the Pearl Fryar Topiary Garden in Bishopville. This oddity was in a residential area – you parked on some grass and walked across the street to a lot in between some houses. It didn’t take very long to take it all in, as it has been scaled down due Fryar’s declining health, but it was worth a few minutes to honor Fryar’s dedication and perseverance.
Fryar was born in 1939 to a sharecropper family. After attending college and serving in the military, he returned to Bishopville as a factory engineer at Coca-Cola. He had hoped to purchase a home in the Bishopville’s city limits, but was blocked by white residents who didn’t think he’d maintain his property.
So he purchased a home on the outskirts of town, and went to the opposite end of the spectrum from “didn’t maintain.” He even received Yard of the Month in 1985! Around 1988, he began experimenting in topiary, eventually growing to include 400 individual plants. The garden today is not as vibrant as it once was, but it’s still maintained by a topiary artist under a grant. A few pieces of artwork adorn the lot, as well.
