Written by David Bishop, Wofford ’24.
Hatcher Garden provides a respite from the bustle of everyday life for the residents of Spartanburg and even the rest of the upstate. The “Woods in the City” is located between downtown and the west side of Spartanburg, a small patch of green surrounded by concrete and asphalt. However, the garden is much more than that. Everyone, from the visitors to the volunteers, acknowledges that there is something “special” about the garden. Here are five ways that you can try and find that something on your next visit.
Get Active
Need a way to spice up a morning jog? There is no better way than to take that jog at a place with beautiful plants, peaceful streams, and roaring waterfalls. Hatcher is the perfect place for a relaxing walk, jog, or exercise. In fact, Hatcher also hosts events such as yoga classes, tai chi, and qi gong groups for people to attend. Activity and fresh air are both crucial to a healthy lifestyle. Why not mix the two?
Get in Touch with your Wild Side
In addition to being home to hundreds of different varieties of flowers, trees, and plants, the garden is also home to many critters. A short walk around the property and you’re sure to see squirrels running around and birds singing. There is even a special butterfly garden to “watch monarchs and swallowtails dance.” If you consider yourself an animal lover, Hatcher is the perfect place to take a bird watching tour or simply watch these creatures at peace in their natural habitat.
Get Artsy
There is no painting or drawing quite as beautiful as a good landscape. What better spot to produce one than in the middle of Hatcher Garden? The garden’s beautiful scenery will no doubt inspire even the least artistic among us to pick up a brush or a pencil and go to work. Hatcher also hosts events specifically for artists, such as Arts in the Garden, where local artists are given an opportunity to enjoy the garden and showcase their work. Links to future events can be found here.
Get Peace of Mind
Sometimes the best medicine is solitude. The garden offers an excellent place to escape from whatever may be troubling you or keeping you down. In particular, the Garden of Hope & Healing is an excellent place to stop and think, meditate, or even cry if need be. However, it is far from the only place in the garden where one can find refuge. If you need a quiet space, odds are you will leave Hatcher Garden feeling better than when you walked in.
Get Lost
When I visited the garden to write this blog post, I went in with the intention to walk around for 15 minutes, get some footage, get my bearings, and leave. Then fifteen minutes turned into thirty and thirty into an hour. It’s easy to get lost in the garden, not in a directional sense, but in the sense that you lose track of time or track of yourself. Just as the garden is perfect for thinking, it is equally perfect for not thinking at all. Trust me, there is no better feeling than walking around Hatcher Garden, getting lost in nature, and forgetting about any outside noise for a while. You won’t regret it.
Obviously, a list this short can’t contain every way to enjoy the garden. I’m not sure that any list can. The only way to truly discover the best way for you to enjoy Hatcher Garden is to plan a visit.