Midlands Plant and Flower Festival

photos and words by Sean Rayford

Peggy Bass, Sarah Bass and Rowdy

Peggy Bass has been coming to the bi-annual Midlands Plant and Flower Festival with her family for more than a decade. On Friday morning she explored herbs with her sister, Sarah, and her dog, Rowdy. Nearby, her daughter, who accompanied her to past festivals as a child, explored other plants with her husband.

“We just come out every year to find whatever we can,” says Bass, surrounded by the likes of Italian flat leaf parsley, Florence fennel and beelicious pink agastache.

Wagon only

When the wind blows hard enough, the aroma of boiled peanuts overpowers the herbs and flowers. When it’s still, it hangs over the rows of ferns.

Stephanie C. has been coming from Kersahw County to the Midlands Plant and Flower Festival fro three years. On Friday morning she was on a mission.

“I had a whole list of plants that I was looking for specifically. And cosmos, I like them because they are very wispy and you can cut them and they keep growing back throughout the season.”

When asked about her relationship with gardening and flowers, she says, “I try.”

Stephanie C. secures the cosmos.

“I’m trying to do a whole floral garden this year instead of just dong a produce garden and so this is my first year really pushing to do more of the colorful flowers”

The bi-annual Midlands Plant and Flower Festival runs Thursday April 9 through Sunday, April 12. Admission and parking is free. The farmers market is located at 3483 Charleston Highway in West Columbia, South Carolina. In addition to plants — garden decor, produce, seafood and food trucks are on site. Bring your own cart or rent a Roadmaster wagon for $5.

Note: The Midlands Plant and Flower Festival is organized by the SCDA, is also a client of the author and photographer Sean Rayford. This is independent from that relationship.

Since 1925