Garden Spot

Garden Sculpture, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



A peaceful spot in a Charleston garden
 is the ideal place for a graceful sculpture.

Graceful Integration

Gate with Flowering Dogwood, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A flowering dogwood integrates with a wrought iron gate
 to create a graceful vignette in Charleston.

Extra Hand

Door Knocker, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



This door knocker is handy
 for announcing your arrival.

Spring Festoons

Door with Wisteria Vine, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Charleston is draped with blooms this time of year.

From Warehouses to Row Houses

Houses on Cobblestone Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Row houses on this cobblestone street are
 near the waterfront and in an area that was packed
 with wharfs and warehouses in the 1800's.

Dubai Style

Skyline, Dubai, UAE  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Office and residential towers stacked against the sky
 come in many shapes and colors in a newly minted part of Dubai.

An American Aloe

Century Plant, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



This century plant makes an exotic centerpiece
 for a courtyard garden in Charleston's historic district.

Redbuds Galore

Redbud, South of Broad, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved

Redbud in a Courtyard Garden, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved

Redbud in the French Quarter, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Spring brings the blooms out
 on Charleston's redbud trees.

Glowing Fence

Fence, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



This fence catches the morning sun much of the year,
making it appear as though King Midas just touched it.

Simple Tool

Ladder, Al Ain Palace, Al Ain, UAE
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



What tool is more simple and effective than this one.
I say, three cheers for the ladder!

Gothic Gem

Facade, Matthias Church, Budapest, Hungary
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Gothic details abound on Matthias Church
 which stands atop Budapest's Castle Hill.

Spring Dazzler

Flowering Crabapple, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Charleston's Washington Park has a flowering crabapple
 that dazzles every spring. Blooms begin as red,
 then fade to pink and white. The green of new leaves
 adds to the mix of color.

Courtyard Sunrise

Lanterns in a Courtyard, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



The rising sun sets these twin lanterns aglow
 in a courtyard near the Battery.

Marrakesh in Charleston?

Door and Window, The Old Saracen, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



You might think this photo is from Morocco,
but in fact this Moorish door and window belong to the old
Saracen restaurant in Charleston.
 
Not coincidentally, I received a surprise package of Moroccan
 cuisine in the mail today (containing couscous, tajine sauce,
 argan oil, kefta rub, and more.). Thanks to my amazing wife,
who signed us up at trytheworld.com, we'll be mailed
 a different box of gourmet products from around the world
 every other month. I can't wait to try the recipes included!

Twinkle

Gate Scroll at Night, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Lights appear to twinkle behind a South Battery gate,
adding a warm touch to this photo made at dawn.
If beauty is in the details, the scenes to be found
around Charleston certainly qualify.

Reflections of a New Day

Windows and Ironwork, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



East facing windows on this High Battery mansion
 reflect the warm light of sunrise over Charleston Harbor.

Complementary

Cherry Tree Blossoms, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A warm touch of spring color graces a Charleston evening
 complements of a cherry tree along Meeting Street.

Colors of the Rainbow

East Bay Houses, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



These houses near Rainbow Row catch the morning sun
 which makes them a richly colorful subject to photograph.

Spring City

Azaleas, White Point Gardens, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



It's been said that Charleston is a city within a garden.
This is especially true this time of year when
 spring blooms unfold all around town. As a bonus, guided tours
 of private homes and gardens began yesterday
 and continue through April 19.



 

Discovery

Green Shuttered House, Charleston, SC  
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



I discovered this green-shuttered house in the Historic District
 while strolling along one of Charleston's alleyways.



 

Framed

Garden Door Window, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Beautifully symmetrical ironwork is framed
 in this garden door window, which also frames
 the house window in the background.

A Natural Ballet

Live Oaks, Middleton Place Gardens, Charleston, SC  
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



The arching limbs of these live oaks
 are like ballet dancers moving in graceful harmony.

Spring Breeze

Azaleas, Middleton Place, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Breezes on a spring day put these woodland flowers
 in motion at Middleton Place Gardens.

Photophilic

Driveway Gate and Morning Light, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



My lovely wife called me a name yesterday. She said I was a photophile.
At first, I was taken aback, but then she told me what it means...
a lover of light.
 
Today I just happen to have a picture with gorgeous
morning light as a key element.
Clearly she knows me better than anyone!

Scintillating

Sail Boat in Charleston Harbor, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Film photography)



The Sun burns its way through morning fog in a burst
of scintillating light upon Charleston Harbor.

French Connection

Balcony Ironwork, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A fleur-de-lis pattern on ironwork frames a balcony at dusk.
 This stylized flower is usually associated with French royalty.
 Charleston has a French connection that dates back to the
 colonial era when the town was settled by Huguenots
escaping religious persecution.



 

Welcome

Door Knocker, French Quarter, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A door knocker in the shape of a pineapple,
 like the fountain in Waterfront Park,
is a symbol of hospitality. It echoes the welcoming
 attitude that the city has toward visitors.



 

Morning Glow

Pineapple Fountain, Waterfront Park, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Cascades of water catch and hold the glow
 of morning light at the Pineapple Fountain
 in Charleston's Waterfront Park.

Quiet Among the Early Blooms

Garden Bench, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Framed by two stone statues, an ornate bench sits quietly
 in a Charleston garden, offering the visitor an invitation
 to rest among the early blooms.

Misty Monday - Shrouded

Fishing Pier, Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Folly Beach Fishing Pier, one of the longest fishing piers
 on the east coast, is shrouded by an encroaching sea fog.



 

Open Gate

Open Gate, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



An open gate offers a glimpse of a colorful courtyard
 in the Historic District. Note the angular gate design,
 a unique sight among Charleston's famed ironwork.

Charming Collection

Lanterns and Ironwork, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




This collection of lanterns, ironwork, doors and windows
 is well defined by strong morning light, imparting a sense
 of Charleston's unique 18th century charm.

Morning Workout

Morning Run, Ravenel Bridge, Mt. Pleasant, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



The pedestrian and bike path along the Ravenel Bridge
 is the only "steep" incline in the Lowcountry
 making it perfect for an aerobic workout.

Monumental

Remains of Old Cooper River Bridge, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



This support structure is all that remains
 of the old Cooper River bridge, the one that preceded
 today's Ravenel Bridge. It was left standing as a monument
 to that aged cantilever bridge which stood for so many years.

Sideways Stretch

Live Oak, Daniel Island, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



The sandy banks of the Wando River are exposed at low tide.
 This old live oak stretches along the bank toward the river
 choosing to grow sideways rather than upward.

Fiery Hues

Pyracantha Berries, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Fiery colored Pyracantha berries add to the red hues
complementing a window along Queen Street.



 

Light the Night

Balcony at Night, Dock Street Theatre, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



The Dock Street Theatre emits an inviting glow
 when evening falls over Charleston's French Quarter.

Italy in America

Portico Details, East Battery, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Decorative details on an East Battery mansion
 are reminiscent of the classical Italian architecture
which Charleston buildings borrowed from frequently.

Threshold

Great Blue Heron, West Ashley Park, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



A heron wades to the threshold of a misty void
 in a wildlife haven on the edge of suburbia.

Harbingers

Garden Gate, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Fresh blooms provide a pleasing backdrop
 to a garden gate in Charleston's Historic District.
Early flowering trees such as these cherry trees are a prelude
 to the flourish of spring color coming in March and April.

Bridge Walk for the Birds

Guineafowl Crossing a Bridge, Magnolia Gardens, Charleston, SC
(Click on image for larger view.)



One of the biggest and most anticipated events of the year
 is the annual Guineahen Bridge Walk. Ballyhooed with much fanfare,
 the 30 second event is often the chirp of the town.
Here is one of those fabulous fowls practicing for the big day.

Night Scrolls

Gate Detail at Night, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Scrolls grace an ornate gate at
 the entry to a courtyard passageway.

Bold and Brilliant

Shrimp Boats, Shem Creek, Mt. Pleasant, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



In full sun, bold colors are at their most brilliant
 on the shrimp boats at Shem Creek.

Daybreak

Tidal Creek at Dawn, Edisto Island, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Film photography.
Click on image for larger view.)



A tidal creek meanders past Lowcountry marshes
and coastal woodlands at the break of day.

Borrowing a Bit of Summer

Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Texas  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



After a half day hike through a desert canyon to the foot of a mesa, 
this is the view looking back toward our trek. 
Temperatures that summer day in Texas were over 100ºF. 
I'd like to borrow some of those degrees now and apply them
 toward warming-up this frigid winter.

Monetesque?

Garden View, Middleton Place, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Looking through lead window panes creates
an impressionistic view of a garden at Middleton Place.

Celebrity

Wooden Star Door, Budapest, Hungary
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia Slide Film)



The character of the doors up on Budapest's Castle Hill is diverse.
This one is, quite literally, the star of the show.

Finding Calm

Pathway, Meditation Garden, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



The pathway to serenity winds beneath
 the arching limbs of ancient oaks.