Fall in love with leaves
Monday, November 20th 2023
As we transition into the colder months, the 14 acres of grounds at Historic Columbia experience a large amount of leaves falling from our vast collection of deciduous trees. Since we need to keep our pathways clear for the safety of visitors, our partners at Eco Lawn Care have implemented the use of a backpack leaf shredder and tow-behind leaf bagger.
These leaves are a valuable resource for the grounds team at Historic Columbia. Since partnering with Eco Lawn Care we have begun reusing the leaves in our many garden beds. This allows us an in-house source of nutrient-rich mulch and greatly reduces the cost of purchasing outside material. Leaf mulch has many benefits including moisture retention, thus reducing the amount of water required to keep our plants healthy. Leaf matter also supports beneficial microbes and many forms of insect life such as earthworms, which provide natural fertilizer.
Historic Columbia's partnership with Eco Lawn Care has our grounds looking their best! Eco Lawn Care is a small, locally-owned business committed to using only battery-operated equipment; not only does this greatly reduce the volume of the equipment creating a more serene and enjoyable experience for garden visitors, but it also drastically reduces the harmful emissions released by traditional gas tools. As co-owner Carmony Adler states, "We understand the importance of care near and against original structures and materials, and only use methods that are safe and that protect the integrity of such historic materials."
The gardens at Robert Mills House, Hampton-Preston Mansion, Seibels House, and The Museum of the Reconstruction Era are open to the public as follows:
- Seibels House (1601 Richland Street): 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Tuesday - Friday
- Robert Mills (1616 Blanding Street): 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday | 1 - 4 p.m. Sunday
- Hampton-Preston (1615 Blanding Street): 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Tuesday – Saturday | 1 - 4 p.m. Sunday
- The Museum of the Reconstruction Era (1405 Hampton Street): 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Tuesday – Saturday | 1 - 4 p.m. Sunday
History is alive at our
Public Gardens
Our 14 acres of historically-inspired landscapes in the heart of Robert Mills Historic District feature heirloom plantings popular with gardeners over the past two centuries.