The yard where I grew up in Charleston, South Carolina, showcased the finest aspects of the Southern countryside. The property included several highlights, such as the expansive live oak in the backyard and the pecan tree in front that threw nuts by the bucket-load every fall until it died and had to be taken down.
My dad planted other plants, such as the English ivy he propagated from my mom’s bridal bouquet, the blueberry bushes, and the dozens of camellias. The fig tree, the tea olive, and the crepe myrtle were the stars of our yard, reminding me year after year of the singular beauty of the South.
As part of our celebration of these unique natural treasures, we asked our readers what Southerners always have in their yards or gardens, and they responded with everything from humorous to heartfelt. These are the obvious indicators that you are in a Southern yard or garden.
Traditional Garden Beauty: Flowers
Gardenia, magnolia, dogwood, azalea, hydrangea, camellia, irises, roses, peonies, daylilies, and confederate jasmine are essential for a truly Southern garden, along with a lovely bubbling fountain or water feature. “This is joy,” one reader wrote. Although the wide range of flowers mentioned above is not necessary for a Southern garden to be a welcoming retreat, our readers were quick to identify the vibrantly colored flowers that characterize a Southern garden, including dahlias, lily of the valley, and rhododendrons.
Wonderful Trees
Trees like spreading live oaks, confetti-throwing crepe myrtles, spring-blooming dogwoods, sky-high longleaf pines, and waxy-leafed magnolias are among the many trees that distinguish our area. These trees are distinguishing features of the landscape, regardless of whether you planted them yourself or inherited them with your property.
Vegetables
It’s no surprise that our readers cited abundant vegetable gardens as a Southern yard essential, considering our preference for in-season produce. Snap peas, green onions, purple hull peas, okra, collards, sweet peas, squash, black-eyed peas, and of course, tomatoes, all vital for a vegetable garden, they say.
Pests
Sadly, pests are not the only ones who appreciate our landscapes’ hospitable charm. The Southern yard is home to a broad range of bugs and other annoying animals, such as fire ants (be sure to look for the mounds), mosquitos, yellow jackets, squirrels, and “the occasional snake,” as our readers quickly noted. Not to mention the deer, which are cute to watch but lose their attractiveness when they are seen eating our most beautiful flora, such as azaleas, impatiens, and daylilies. Watch out for moles and armadillos as well.
Wingy Friends
We make every effort to keep out unwanted insects and animals, but we also construct attractive bird baths and feeders with vibrant colors and seeds to encourage hummingbirds, songbirds, and other critters to stay. We’re constantly searching for extra special guests, like as redbirds, which some people believe to be a symbol of departed loved ones.
Something Emotional
A Southern garden has emotional importance, according to one of our readers, who stated that each one should have “Something that brings back a memory.” Comfort. Whether it’s a vegetable garden, hydrangeas, roses, or just some ivy or grapevine. A Southern yard is also a good place to find passalong plants, those bits of flora that we get as gifts from friends or loved ones.
Unusual Yard Decorations
There were many humorous reactions mixed in with all the heartfelt and genuine ones. “Enough grills/smokers to feed 50 people” is a certain way to know you’re in a Southern yard, according to one reader. “An old pick-up truck on blocks” was written by someone else. What you find in a Southern yard “depends on how deep you dig…” was the darkly comic response from the reader before that.
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