Don't Miss the Christmas Open House This Sunday!
Looking for a great way to get in the holiday spirit? Join us on Sunday, December 7 from 3 p.m. until 5 p.m. to enjoy a unique opportunity to visit the decorated Hart House. While there, enjoy light snacks and a visit from Old Saint Nick. This event is free and open to the public.
Don't forget, the Hart Cottage will also be open to the public, free of charge, allowing you to visit two historic Hartsville homes in one afternoon!

 

2026 Programming
Thank you to everyone who attended our educational programming this year at Kalmia Gardens! We are excited to announce more great opportunities to learn coming in 2026, including the return of our adult education lecture series, Cultivating Knowledge, as well as additional offerings on the horizon.
While we continue to firm up the details, we wanted to give you a sneak peek of what to expect! Lectures in 2026 will include:

Reflecting on 2025
As 2025 comes to a close, we reflect on all we've accomplished this year. Our Grounds crew have kept the Gardens and buildings maintained and in good working order for all of our guests to enjoy. We have added more programming, including our adult lecture series, while also continuing with our perennial classics, like our annual Oyster Roast, Earth Day Festival, Week in the Wild summer camp, and soon our Christmas Open House. Work has gone into revamping a few of our garden spaces, including the transformation of the Fern Garden into a primarily native pollinator garden. We set our sights on formalizing our volunteer program, which relaunched at the beginning of the fall. Speaking of, our volunteers have been with us and supported us through these changes, including getting involved in many of these tasks firsthand! 
2025 has been a busy but fruitful year. As we turn our sights to 2026, we look forward to continuing to form lasting memories and experiences for our guests and community. We can't wait to see you in the new year!

Thank You to Our Donors
As we reflect on 2025, we would be remiss to not acknowledge and give our heartfelt thanks to all of our donors who have helped to keep Kalmia Gardens as the natural haven we revere today. We extend our appreciation to those who have made monetary donations to help fund our operations, programming, education, and so much more, and of course to those who have donated their time to work the Gardens, share their knowledge, and otherwise lend their skills and passion to sustain us. We can say it often, but it is never enough - thank you for continuing to support us and for allowing future generations to experience the beauty and wonder that you see in this very special place - our Kalmia Gardens.

Chris's Tip
The winter holidays are nearly upon us, with many of us still seeing visions of plump turkeys dancing in our heads. Wait, no, that's not quite right. Well, I think you know what I mean - we're in the thick of it when it comes to the holidays. Some of us may still be having dreams of turkeys past, while others may already be reveling in holiday cookies. Either way, you're probably busting out the decorations and getting your home festive, if you haven't already.
This time of year is great for bringing natural materials indoors to add even more charm to your holiday display. Evergreen selections like pine, magnolia, and cedar can easily take center stage, but there's even more worthy of inclusion. Sure, pinecones are common - and great - but have you thought about using the fruit from Southern Magnolias? These cone-looking structures are often adorned with red seeds, adding an extra pop of color to your display.
Holly fruit are another classic staple, but don't forget about dried seed heads, like those you may find on native plants like Elephant's Foot, which have a starburst-appearance and can add a unique touch.
Here at Kalmia, we enjoy using Greenbrier in our Christmas Open House display, hanging outside our front door. While we typically seethe when we see this plant any other time of the year, it does lend itself well to our festive display. 
As you bring these natural items indoors, I do urge a word of caution. Make sure to do a little research about what you're bringing inside. If you have pets or children, some of these natural materials may be toxic, and no one wants to get sick!
To get some inspiration for your holiday decor, be sure to visit us for our free Christmas Open House this Sunday!

I may be biased, but I find Kalmia Gardens to be beautiful any time of year. But, if you really pressed me on it and made me choose just one season where Kalmia shines just a little bit brighter, I'd have to say winter. Juxtaposed against a subdued landscape are vibrant colors that may otherwise be lost in the hustle and bustle of other seasons. Subtle but charming beauty is easily found in the ruby reds of many hollies. That's why this month, my interesting plant is the American Holly.
As the name may rightly lead you to believe, the American Holly, or Ilex opaca, is a native right here in South Carolina. Hollies in general can be diverse in their forms, as it's not uncommon to see shrub-type hollies in many landscapes. However, the American Holly grows as a tree, often with a single stem. Its bark is smooth, unlike that of the often ridged bark you would see on trees like oaks. This characteristic can be helpful in identifying it, especially when you're walking the trails here at Kalmia Gardens and the trees tower over you. I often notice the bark of the American Holly before any other identifying feature. 
But I digress, while this plant boasts many charming traits, this time of the year and in to winter is when the American Holly really shines thanks to its handsome fruit. However, it is not quite so simple to just plant an American Holly and sit back and wait for fruits to decorate the landscape come late fall and winter. Hollies are dioecious, which means your plant is either female or male. Many plants are known as monoecious and have both female and male flowers, often allowing them to both flower and produce fruit on the same plant. In the case of hollies, you need both a male plant and a female plant to ensure the female plant can produce fruit. Here at Kalmia, we have a number of American Holly, so having fruit set on our female plants is not a problem.
As the year winds down, make sure to come out and see the American Holly, as well as the other beautiful plants of Kalmia Gardens.

Beautiful Plants of Kalmia Gardens
Alder, Tag (Alnus serrulata)
Azalea, Encore (Rhododendron cvs.)
Beech (Fagus grandifolia)
Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus)
Camellia, Japanese (Camellia japonica)
Camellia, Sasanqua (Camellia sasanqua)
Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis)
Heartleaf (Asarum arifolium)
Holly, American (Ilex opaca)
Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica)
Maple, Japanese Coral Bark (Acer palmatum cvs.)
Photinia, Chinese (Photinia glabra)
Red Tip (Photinia x fraseri)
Rhododendron (Rhododendron spp.)
Sage, Pineapple (Salvia elegans)
Sweet Gum (Liquidambar styraciflua)
Tea (Camellia sinensis)
Tea Olive (Osmanthus fragrans)
Yaupon (Ilex vomitoria)

EVENTS:
Christmas Open House
Dec. 7, 3 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Oyster Roast Fundraiser
Mar. 21, 2026, 4 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Tickets and sponsorships available now!

Copyright © 2025 Kalmia Gardens of Coker University, All rights reserved.
 Laurel Branch

Our mailing address is:
www.kalmiagardens.org