In the early 1990’s, a children’s garden was established in the back of the Clemson property located along Clemson Road in northeast Columbia, SC. Clemson Extension leadership, community volunteers, Master Gardeners, and Master Naturalists maintained the property and invited the public (school groups, teachers, mothers’ groups, church groups, and home schoolers) to come and learn about their role in the environmental health of the planet through gardening.  We wanted to reconnect families with nature, since using  technology had replaced playing outside and exploring as a typical childhood activity. The garden enjoyed great success, and the programs presented  there reached 1,700 students in one year alone.

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In 2015, Clemson’s mission changed from Urban Horticulture to Agribusiness, and Clemson needed the old garden area for crop trials. Clemson offered to move the garden to the front of the Clemson property where it was more easily accessed by the public. Clemson fenced in two acres, installed a well, and moved major structures (Old MacDonald’s Farm, Mr. McGregor’s Garden shed, a gazebo) from the old garden to the new site. A group named “Friends of the Children’s Garden” made up of Master Gardeners and community volunteers worked tirelessly through the pandemic, through hot summers and much rain, raised funds, weeded, built interior fences, planted native plants, collected seeds, and pulled off a miracle. The public will be invited to a grand opening this spring. 

We volunteers see this garden as an outdoor classroom to teach families about the value of wildlife habitat, the critical role of native plants, and how we can create and restore a healthy, vibrant ecosystem.

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Val Hutchinson

President 2024-2025

RCMGA