For a tranquil break from the office, a fitness walk with your dog, a picnic lunch with friends, shady silence in which to read, or a self- guided stroll back in time, step into Columbia's historic garden district.

Within district boundaries of Calhoun, Hampton, Barnwell, and Marion Streets, the Historic Columbia Foundation (HCF) is steward of six historic structures and their adjoining landscapes: the Robert Mills House, Hampton- Preston Mansion, Woodrow Wilson family home, Mann- Simons cottage, Seibels House, and Modjeska Monteith Simkin's House. The combined properties tell the story of life in Columbia from 1820 through 1960.

With the adoption of a comprehensive Cultural Landscape Master Plan, Historic Columbia Foundation is embarking on a long- term project to restore and preserve the historic core of the city with its magnificent mansions, quaint cottages, and aged shade trees.

In December of 2007, the Foundation hired horticulturist Eric Becker to manage and maintain existing and future gardens. Becker notes that each distinctive property will preserve as much of the original landscape as possible. Plants added will be appropriate to the historical period of the garden.

Shasta Daisy Becky, a long stemmed and long- blooming perennial, grows in the Founders Garden at the Robert Mills House. At the present time, two gardens are in place. The walled Founders Garden at the Robert Mills House is a symmetrically designed formal garden. Visitors can expect to see an emphasis on heirloom plants, native plants, and sustainable landscape strategies over the course of renovation.

The Seibels House garden contains the most well preserved plant specimens of any of the properties. The restored garden represents a composite of four garden designs imagined to be on the site from 1796 to 1960. Nestled within the garden's camellia and palmetto tree framework are a kitchen garden, antique rose garden, a flamboyant Victorian garden, and containers and raised beds brimming with surprises in every direction.

In January of 2009, restoration of the Woodrow Wilson house and garden will begin. As restoration proceeds across the garden district over the next five to ten years, properties will be joined by using a variety of design strategies including pedestrian pathways, lighting, signage, tree planting, decorative furniture and banners, and public art.

Eric Becker, horticulturist with Columbia Historic Foundation, works from detailed blueprints and voluminous master plans for each garden. Becker welcomes the public to visit the gardens and watch their progress, "If the gate is open that is a welcoming sign." There is no admission fee to the gardens. Gates are open Tuesday through Friday from 9 am - 5 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 9 am - 4 pm.

As gardens grow so will the educational opportunities for visitors. The Foundation has developed an annotated self- guided walking tour brochure on 39 sites in the historic district. A copy may be obtained at the HCF administrative offices at Seibels House, 1601 Richland Street.

Step forward into the past 200 years of horticulture history in Columbia's garden district. For more project information, visit www.historiccolumbia. org .

Fountain in the formal Founders Garden. The kitchen garden at Seibels House contains vegetables, herbs, and flowers.