Backyard oasis: How the Daniel Island Garden Club makes the most of summer

Step into the backyard of a Daniel Island gardener, and you’ll quickly learn two things: nothing grows by accident, and the deer are always watching. 

Beyond the fences and patio gates are herb gardens built for the perfect morning sunlight, raised vegetable beds designed to survive hurricane season, and pollinator blooms buzzing with bees in the summer heat. For members of the Daniel Island Garden Club, these outdoor spaces have become colorful, personal retreats shaped by months (and sometimes years) of trial, error, watering, pruning, and patience. 

For Ricki Gardner, her backyard is exactly what a Lowcountry retreat should feel like: “A relaxing oasis for just us two as well as our children and grandchildren,” Gardner said of her and her husband. “The grass is green, the patio furniture comfortable, and the view of the golf course unmatched.” 

Her favorite feature may be the herb garden tucked into what she calls the perfect spot, where it catches gentle morning sunlight instead of the intense afternoon heat. A drip irrigation line keeps everything thriving through South Carolina summers.  

“It's colorful and abundant, and having fresh herbs when cooking is best,” she said. 

Gardner admits gardening in the Lowcountry came with a steep learning curve after years of gardening in West Virginia.  

“I had to learn all over again what plants can tolerate this hot, humid weather and what not to plant in the sun,” she said. 

The Daniel Island Garden Club helped speed up that education. Through the club, she learned which tropical plants flourish locally and which northern favorites simply won’tsurvive the climate. Then came another challenge familiar to many island residents: deer. 

“For many years, these deer thought my front yard was a salad bar,” Gardner joked. 

After years of experimenting with repellents, she said her husband finally found one that works well enough for their flowers to survive. Thankfully, the fenced backyard gives their pool deck, herb garden, and landscaping a bit more protection. 

“My husband designed it, and it's fabulous,” Gardner said of the backyard layout. “I get to sit on my back deck in my rocking chair and enjoy the view.” 

A few neighborhoods away, Debbie Scordino took a more strategic approach when designing her outdoor space. When she built her home three years ago, she already knew exactly what she wanted, and what she wanted to avoid. 

“I wanted a garden but did not want to bring pots in and out during hurricane season,” Scordino said. “Nor did I want to deal with the deer.” 

Instead, she designed five built-in garden beds directly into her patio layout – three for sun-loving plants and two for shade gardens – all equipped with automatic sprinklers. 

“The garden is extremely colorful but also very practical,” she said. “I have pollinator flowers as well as vegetables and herbs growing in small spaces.” 

Scordino’s garden is built around the idea of farm-to-table living. She grows organic vegetables and herbs year-round and says she hasn’t needed to buy either in months. 

“Everything is organic so I know what I am eating and what I am giving to friends,” she said. 

One of the biggest surprises for her after moving South from New York was realizing that Lowcountry gardening often rewards abundance over perfection. 

“One of my go-to tips is to really plant a lot and let it all grow together,” she said. “It prevents weeding, and other than initial mulch, everything is thriving.” 

She credits the Daniel Island Garden Club for helping her understand which flowers and pollinator plants perform best locally, along with guidance from Rita’s Roots, a gardening company in Summerville. 

“People always comment on the organized approach that I designed for my beds as well as the abundance of vegetables that I’m able to grow in a small space,” Scordino said. “This is definitely a labor of love.” 

For Jean Baldwin, gardening has long blended craftsmanship with imagination. Before moving to Daniel Island, she spent decades in Washington, D.C., where she built an elaborate garden railway from scratch. 

“I loved creating it through the plants, over the pond and waterfall, and through the bridges,” Baldwin said. “The best part was ripping the redwood with my table saw – great fun!” 

That creative spirit is something the Daniel Island Garden Club has cultivated since it first formed in 1998. Created to help residents navigate the unique challenges of Lowcountry gardening, the club offers educational speakers, field trips, gardening exchanges, and seasonal contests ranging from Yard of the Month to holiday decorating competitions. 

For many members, the appeal goes beyond the flowers themselves. Gardening becomes a reason to experiment, learn from neighbors, and spend more time outside, even if it means losing a few plants along the way.