Ten Years in Bloom

It began with a basil plant and a no from the HOA.

 

Back in 2012, Daniel Island resident Jacqueline Gowe said she was simply trying to brighten her townhouse walkway with flowers and herbs.

 

“Due to limited sunlight in the backyard, I placed the pots along the walkway and among shrubs,” Gowe said. “Unfortunately, the homeowners’ association cited me for violating landscaping rules.”

 

Disheartened but not defeated, Gowe shared her frustrations and an idea with her friend Cynthia Rumph: What if Daniel Island had a community garden?

 

Rumph pointed her to a local grant competition promoted by The Daniel Island News and hosted by the Rotary Club of Daniel Island, and the Daniel Island Community Fund, aimed at projects that would enhance life for residents.

 

Fitting enough, Gowe applied, describing her vision for a shared garden space with raised beds and a special section for children.

 

“To my surprise, I won.”

 

That seed of an idea would eventually blossom into the Daniel Island School and Community Garden, now celebrating its 10th anniversary as one of the island’s most beloved green spaces located in the back of the school on Daniel Island Drive.

 

SCHOOLYARD REVIVAL

 

Turning a vision into reality wasn’t easy.

 

“We began rallying support and scouting locations, with help from Jane Baker (former president of the DI POA),” Gowe said. “But each proposed site met resistance from nearby neighbors – some even threatened legal action.” Even public park spaces like Governors Park and Freedom Park were ruled out.

 

Then in 2014, a breakthrough: parents from the Daniel Island School Parent-Teacher Association approached Gowe about a forgotten school garden that had fallen into disrepair. “There were pools of water, tangled hoses, and broken beds,” she said.

 

While cleaning up the mess, Gowe noticed an unused corner of the garden space.

 

“I proposed the idea of incorporating the community garden into the school grounds,” she said. “I told the principal that our group would use the grant money to rebuild both the school and community gardens.”

 

Not only was the idea approved, but the Daniel Island Community Fund doubled the grant to $5,000. A once-forlorn plot of land suddenly had promise.

 

ROOTED IN COMMUNITY

 

Gowe’s late husband and architect, Richard Gowe, rolled up his sleeves, literally and figuratively, and began designing the layout around an existing circular path.

 

“Richard planned clusters of 4-by-4 raised beds for both school and community use. He also figured out the location of a mystery drain using the school’s site plans, which we later confirmed by a metal detector thanks to Cynthia!”

 

Students, parents, and teachers all pitched in. Seventh and eighth graders helped with building beds. The Berkeley County School District came through by re-grading the land, adding a new spigot, and installing a gate. A landscape architect-lent expertise, and a second grant from the South Carolina Native Plant Society’s Charleston Chapter provided funds for native plants to enhance the surroundings.

 

“One member designed and planted a sensory garden, another a certified monarch waystation (to support the butterfly population) and fritillary nursery, and others focused on native pollinator habitats,” Gowe said. “In just five months, we had the garden built, planted, and thriving.”

 

Friend and fellow gardener Heather Jones emphasized just how much the Gowes gave to make the vision a reality.

 

“Jacqueline and Richard really don’t give themselves enough credit,” Jones said. “She was solely responsible for this garden coming to fruition. They already had a stunning backyard garden, so this wasn’t about needing a garden space. It was a selfless act of love for the community.

 

“Richard did all the design work pro bono, and they labored for countless hours building beds and creating spaces for people to sit and gather. What was once a dirty, water-bogged, shadeless pit became this organic sanctuary for butterflies, birds, and people to commingle with nature.”

 

The garden officially opened in April 2015 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, complete with music from the Daniel Island School band.

 

The garden debuted with 16 community beds, 10 school beds, the monarch waystation and fritillary butterfly garden, a sensory garden, and a composting site.

 

“It was exhilarating to see our hopes for a community garden come to fruition, especially after so many setbacks along the way,” Gowe said. “The opening day was truly a celebration.”

 

 

LASTING IMPACT

 

Ten years later, the Daniel Island School and Community Garden continues to flourish, both as a hub of education and community connection.

 

“Classes have had the opportunity to plant, weed, water, and harvest carrots, radishes, tomatoes, strawberries, and sweet potatoes, among other things,” Daniel Island School teacher Laine Holmes said. “This hands-on approach to learning has been so impactful for our students. The community gardeners have always supported our school by donating materials, building and rebuilding beds, and weeding and watering.”

 

The school’s partnership with The Green Heart Project, a nonprofit that brings garden-based learning to students across Charleston, has also brought meaningful, hands-on learning experiences to the students.

 

“Last fall, my class harvested over 50 pounds of sweet potatoes!” Holmes said. “Every time I go to our garden, I am in awe of the beautiful and special space we have at Daniel Island School.”

 

Rumph, the community gardener who first encouraged Gowe to apply for the original grant, highlighted how the garden has also become a place for youth service and leadership.

 

“It’s offered opportunities for Beta Club members, Scout Troop 519, and students needing service hours,” Rumph said. “My son Will completed his Eagle Scout project there – building three handicap-accessible picnic tables, a standing workbench, and organizing a troop workday in the garden.”

 

Rumph recalled moments of both celebration and serenity: “Earth Day events, band concerts, teachers holding outdoor lessons, guest speakers on composting and pollinators, even poetry.

 

“From the very beginning, Jacqueline’s vision for the garden was a place to bring the community together. This 10-year anniversary is a chance to reflect back on all the ways that the garden has fostered growth for the children and residents of Daniel Island.”

 

Over the years, the garden has expanded to include a kitchen garden, a cut flower bed, a shed stocked with child-sized tools, and two rain barrels donated by Clemson University.

 

There’s even a vermiculture composting system, or worm composting, and a mailbox filled with gardening books and coloring pages for young visitors.

 

All community beds are leased annually, with a growing waitlist, and students continue to engage in garden-based learning, guided first by local volunteers and now with support from The Green Heart Project.

 

Today, the garden is managed by Amanda Brock, Darcie Goodwin, and longtime gardener Bruce Markham.

 

While leadership has changed, the original vision remains: to cultivate an organic, native, and sustainable space where learning and community grow side by side.

 

 

HONORING A LEGACY

 

This 10-year milestone comes at a bittersweet time for the garden community, following the recent passing of Richard Gowe.

 

His legacy, however, is deeply rooted in every bed, bench, and blossom within the garden he helped design and build.

 

“Ten years later, my husband Richard and I are so gratified to see the garden thrive and flourish,” Jacqueline Gowe said. “Our children attended Daniel Island School, and it’s deeply meaningful to know we’ve contributed to a space that educates and inspires both children and adults.”

 

One of her favorite photos, she said, shows children searching for fritillary caterpillars, their teacher just as awestruck as they are.

 

“That joy and wonder in that photo reflects everything we hoped the garden would become.”

 

For more information about the DISCG or to volunteer, contact dicommunitygarden@gmail.com.