Three Gardens

3 Backyard Gardens, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Here is a sampler of backyard gardens
 in Charleston's Historic District,
showing an assortment of horticultural styles.

Light and Iron

Lantern and Balcony, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Mid morning sun backlights a lantern
 and a wrought iron balcony
 along an alleyway South of Broad.

Classic Storefront

Facade on Meeting Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Decorative details abound on the facades
 of historic commercial storefronts along Meeting Street.
This area features restaurants, shops and hotels.

Port City

Tall Ship, Charleston, SC   © Doug Hickok



Every few years Tall Ships sail into Charleston Harbor
 to spend a weekend for tours. This one docked at the Maritime
 Center and stayed a bit longer. My photo recalls
 a past era when Charleston was a thriving port
 in the 1800's.

Spring Scroll

Wrought Iron Fence, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



The scroll of a wrought iron fence
 is a focal point for a garden blooming with azaleas.

Twins

Old Fire Station, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Twin green doors complement the bright red
 of fire trucks at this old fire station in the Historic District.

French Quarter Morning

Chalmers Street, French Quarter, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Early morning light slants across one of Charleston's
 cobblestone streets, this one being in an old section
 of the French Quarter near Washington Square.

Mini House

Doll House, Charleston, SC   © Doug Hickok



Beneath a canopy of tangled vines,
a doll house waits patiently for playtime
 in a Charleston garden South of Broad.

Rusty

Window Grille, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Along Broad Street is an old bank
 with wrought iron window grilles.
This one shows bits of rust seeping through,
adding interest to its ornate design.

Box Office Hit

Ironwork, Dock Streat Theatre, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Shadows and light create an intriguing combination
 of shapes and textures at Dock Street Theatre
 in Charleston's French Quarter.

Biding Time

Clock on King Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Ben Silver's mannequin bides his time,
early on a Sunday morning,waiting for the store to open

Italy in Charleston?

Cypress and Palmettos, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



An old, narrow alleyway passes by
Charleston houses with backyards
where Italian cypresses grow alongside palmettos.

Renoir Redux

Mural near Poogan's Porch Restaurant, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



David Boatwright's mural, painted on the side of Mira Winery,
 is a contemporary version of Renoir's
 Luncheon of the Boating Party
depicting local chefs and restraunteurs.

Well Preserved

French Quarter, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Johnson Row is a colorful group of tenement houses
 built in 1803 along Queen Street in Charleston's
 French Quarter. Like so many of the city's historic properties,
 renovation efforts by preservation groups
 have kept them well cared for.

Mills House

Mills House, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Ornate details abound on the Mills House,
one of Charleston's beautiful hotels in the Historic District.

Sunrise at the Park

Waterfront Park, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



One of Charleston's most scenic public green spaces
 is Waterfront Park, which overlooks Charleston Harbor.
It's an ideal place to watch the sunrise.



 

Ivy Gate

Gate Detail, Charleston, SC   © Doug Hickok



The skill of a metalsmith brings wrought iron foliage
 to life on an entry gate in the Historic District.

Midnight in a Garden in Charleston

Pimeapple Fountain, Charleston, SC   © Doug Hickok



Today's photo is brought to you by one of Doug's blue moods.

Verdantly Framed

Garden Door, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Lush growing vines surround a garden door
 that leads to a narrow courtyard in the Historic District.

Doin' the Charleston

Antique Ford, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



A Roaring 20's Ford looks right at home
 amid the surroundings of Charleston's Historic District.

Broad Street Sunrise

Broad Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



This view down Broad Street early in the morning
 shows the colonial era Saint Michael's Church
 framed by serveral of South Carolina's state trees, the Palmetto.

Rough Ride

Cobblestone Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



One of Charleston's cobblestone streets
 seems at odds with modern transportation,
though such a rocky byway kept the carriage wheels
of yesteryear out of the mud.

Holy Twilight, Batman!

French Quarter, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Looking down Church Street at twilight,
 Saint Philip's Church glows prominently
 as a symbol of Chaleston's French Quarter.

Doors of Charleston

Old Church Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok

Tradd Street, Charleston, SC   © Doug Hickok

Church Door, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



A selection of doorways shows the diversity
 of Charleston's historic architectural styles.

Viney Gateway

Alleyway Gateway, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



This gateway through a wall of vines
 allows access to Philadelphia Alley,
one of Charleston's off-the-beaten pathways.

Shapes and Shadows

Table and Chairs, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



In the courtyard of the Dock Street Theatre,
 a set of table and chairs makes an interesting composition
 of shapes and shadows ideal for black and white format.

Carriage Ride

French Quarter, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



A carriage tour takes visitors through the French Quarter
 and past Saint Philip's Church,
one of the iconic sights of Charleston.

Off The Beaten Path

St John's Reformed Episcopal Churchyard, Charleston, SC  
© Doug Hickok


This is one of many hidden gardens you'll discover
 by strolling through Charleston's Historic District.

Slanting Light

Tradd Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



This time of year, the morning sun slants down Tradd Street
 at such a keen angle that textures and colors
 are highlighted by its warm light.

French Quarter Evening

French Quarter, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Saint Philip's Church overlooks a row of ornate brackets
 on the Dock Street Theatre in Charleston's historic French Quarter.

Heron Gate

Waterfront Park, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



A wrought iron heron greets those who visit Waterfront Park,
 a popular Charleston green space which overlooks
 tidal marshes and the harbor.

East Bay Dawn

East Bay Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Lanterns glow at dawn along East Bay Street
 near Charleston's Rainbow Row.

Gateway Twilight

College of Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Mixed lighting at twilight creates color contrast
 on a Porter's Lodge gateway
 on the College of Charleston campus.

Spider Fountain

Waterfront Park, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



The Spider Fountain appears to shoot its silky webs
 toward the dawn sky at Charleston's Waterfront Park.

Art Deco Down South

Riviera Theater, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Art Deco details abound! Charleston's Riviera Theater,
 listed on the National Registry of Historic Places,
is regarded as one of the country's cinema treasures.

Puzzlement of Locks

Door Locks, Rome, Italy  © Doug Hickok



This ancient door and its conundrum of locks
 offers a puzzle to the uninitiated as to how it all works.

New Venue

Gaillard Center, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok 



Freshly minted lamp posts line an entry to Charleston's
 newly updated Gaillard Center, where many events are held
 throughout the year, including Spoleto Festival USA performances.

Desert Mission

Mission San Xavier del Bac, Tucson, Arizona  © Doug Hickok



Layers of flora and stone merge together in this image
 of an old Spanish Mission in Arizona's Sonoran Desert.

Doorway in Stone

Monument Rocks, Western Kansas  © Doug Hickok



A naturally sculpted doorway in this ancient stone
 offers a view toward rock formations known as
 the Chalk Pyramids, located on the high plains of Kansas.

Stacked

Rome, Italy  © Doug Hickok



Wooden chairs are stacked after closing time
 at a streetside restaurant in Rome.

It's Easy Being Green

SC Aquarium, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok


Mr. Frog relaxes at the South Carolina Aquarium,
enjoying one of Charleston's warm spring days.

Lion's Gaze

Door Knocker, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Half in sunlight, half in shadow,
this classic door knocker
 in Charleston's French Quarter
greets visitors with a stately gaze.

Dappled Shadows

Tree Shadows, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Tucked down an alleyway in the French Quarter, 
a freshley painted stucco wall
 is dappled with the shadow of an overhanging tree.

Market Hall

Market Hall, Charleston, SC   © Doug Hickok



The entrance to Charleston's old market was built to resemble
 a neo-classical temple and stands out noticably
 among modern buildings that surround it.

Sculpted by Sunlight

Headstone Detail, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



A gravestone is highlighted by the slanting mid day sun
which illuminates sculpted edges of the artwork.

Ancient Tentacles

Live Oak, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



The sprawling arms of this ancient live oak
 occupy a large plot in Charleston's Hampton Park.

Quaint B & B

27 State Street B & B, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



A quaint indoor courtyard greets visitors
 to this historic Bed and Breakfast,
located a short stroll from neighborhood
 art galleries and fine restauraunts
in Charleston's French Quarter.