Join our Horticulturists--Kerry Rapp and Devin Ravencroft--for a tour of Brookgreen Gardens’ greenhouse and nursery complex. Kerry will discuss how staff and volunteers manage the production of over 40,000 plants each year, including the warm/cool season annuals for the Garden, the fall and spring plant sales, and poinsettias for Nights of a Thousand Candles. And Devin will share a behind-the-scenes look at Brookgreen's new and expanding orchid collection and how it will support the future orchid display wall, as part of The Purdy Center that will open next year. There are currently nearly 450 orchids, with plans for the collection to grow to well over 1000. 

About the Speaker: 

Kerry Rapp is the Director of Greenhouse and Plant Collections at Brookgreen Gardens. She is a graduate of West Virginia University with a Master of Science in Horticulture.  

Devin Ravencroft is the Greenhouse Horticulturist at Brookgreen Gardens and has been caring for and expanding the orchid collection since 2022. He is a graduate of Oregon State University with two Bachelors of Science - one in Horticulture and the other in Sustainability. 

Brought back by popular demand! Join us to learn more about the snakes of the Lowcountry and their importance to the local ecosystem.

Free with garden admission but reservations are required. Call (843) 979-6083 to reserve your seat!

This event is now full.

Join 3 of our Brookgreen volunteers and make a beautiful table decoration for Thanksgiving. Your family and friends will wonder when you found the time to be creative!

Please bring some small pruning shears for cutting flowers. Other materials will be supplied.

Non-member fee includes garden admission.

The event is full.

Come and enjoy a garden stroll with Viki Richardson, Brookgreen Gardens Coordinator for Outreach and Programs, and learn the stories behind the mythological sculptures in the gardens.

Reservations must be made as size is limited. Contact Viki at (843) 979-6083 to hold your spot.

Meet at Keepsakes and free with garden admisssion.

The Gullah/ Geechee people of Coastal Georgia and South Carolina have always demonstrated tremendous strength and tenacity, even in the face of insurmountable and unimaginable circumstances. Much of this can be attributed to their enduring spirits and strong connection to their African roots. Griot and Master Storyteller Lillian Grant-Baptiste will use the art of storytelling to bring the Gullah/Geechee story and history to life. She will skillfully demonstrate how storytelling was used during the most difficult and fiery times of our history, and beyond, as both tools of resistance and resilience. Lillian promises to stir, awaken, enlighten, inform, and entertain all in attendance. The young and old alike will be caught up and mesmerized by the magic of Gullah/Geechee storytelling. 

About the Speaker 

Lillian Grant-Baptiste is an informed cultural artist, motivational speaker, and an uplifting storyteller.  She has nearly 30 years of experience as a motivational speaker and a professional storyteller.  Ms. Grant-Baptiste has been showcased at storytelling and performance venues throughout the United States. She is a moving performer that will stir your soul and leave you on the edge of your seat yearning for more. She skillfully gathers and retells stories from diverse cultures but has a particular fondness and love for folktales from the African Diaspora. Lillian believes that storytelling is a powerful tool that can be utilized to uplift, empower, and ultimately transform individuals, families, and communities.

Join Janice Oldfield, Master herbalist, and Viki Richardson, horticulturist, both in costume (!) as they delve into the ancient folklore of herbs. You will enjoy the stories behind many of the well known herbs growing in your garden and in your kitchen cupboard! This is a class worthy of Harry Potter’s Hogwarts!

Free with admission, but reservations are required. Call (843) 979-6083 to reserve your spot. 

When settlers first arrived from Barbados in what is now South Carolina, they were in search of a way to create the large wealth-generating plantations that they had known in their Caribbean home. After several false starts with other crops, rice emerged as the dominant cash-crop in the area. To grow rice, however, involved the large-scale modification of the landscape from its previous state into a complex, human-controlled system of geography and hydrography. We will explore this transformation in detail as we study the various landscapes that make up Brookgreen Gardens. Free with garden admission.

Limit 24, for a reservation. CLASS IS FULL

Craft a charming, versatile basket perfect for hanging on a wall or door! Using natural and hand-dyed reed, you’ll create a basket measuring approximately 6 inches wide by 8 inches tall (or 11 inches with the handle). In this hands-on session, students will master the essentials of basketry, from laying out the base and twining to shaping upright spokes and weaving in a continuous pattern. Customize with variegated reed options, and finish with a lashed rim and a decorative wooden medallion. This 3–4-hour class is limited to 8 participants for an intimate, supportive learning experience. There is a $20 materials fee payable in class, to the instructor, via cash, Venmo, or Zelle.  

About the Instructor: 

Tammy has been weaving baskets for over 30 years. After taking a beginner class in the early 1990’s with a friend in Maryland, she was hooked and has continued to improve her skills by taking classes at basket weaving conventions and making baskets on her own. While she has lived in various places worldwide, weaving baskets has remained a constant. After meeting her husband in West Berlin, Germany in the early 1980’s while they were both serving in the army as Russian linguists, they both transitioned to civilian federal jobs and lived in Maryland, Australia, Georgia, and Poland before retiring to Myrtle Beach. They both love their new home and all the opportunities for remaining active. Tammy teaches basket weaving with Coastal Carolina University’s OLLI program and enjoys sharing her love of basketry with new weavers. It’s so important to keep this ancient art form alive!   

Corrie Clairborne, Ph.D. - “Literary Cultural Environments that Support Rice Heritage.”

Reign of Rice programs have been generously funded by Carolyn Riley, in memory of Dick Riley

Award-winning artist Rosie Sandifer will talk about her work in the exhibit, Rosie Sandifer: A Retrospective of Paintings and Sculpture, in the Jennewein Gallery of the Rainey Sculpture Pavilion at 11:00 am on November 21. The gallery is limited to 10 people at a time and masks are required.