OVER A DECADE AGO , THE KIAWAH CONSERVANCY BEGAN WORK ON A GARDEN IN NIGHT HERON PARK , WITH FUNDING FROM KIAWAH PROPERTY OWNERS AND THE SUPPORT OF KIAWAH ISLAND GOLF RESORT . WHAT BEGAN AS A TRIAL PROJECT EVENTUALLY BECAME THE NATURALLY KIAWAH DEMONSTRATION GARDEN , A PERMANENT FEATURE OF THE PARK .
In the years since its creation , the demonstration garden has thrived as a resource for island residents and visitors . The demonstration garden ’ s intent is to highlight the native plants found on Kiawah Island and the beneficial role they play in the island ’ s ecology . The garden also provides examples of the value of the understory — shrubs , perennial flowers , grasses — which serves as cover and nesting areas for songbirds and other small animals , like the island ’ s beloved bobcats . More than just a safe place to nest and hide , the understory is also a source of food for wildlife : the berries of the yaupon holly shrub , a plant often used in place of boxwood shrubs as a native foundation in formal landscape design , feed many of the migratory birds that travel through Kiawah Island on their yearly journeys . Coral honeysuckle , a native climbing vine that blooms reddish-pink flowers in early spring , provides nectar for hummingbirds and is a host plant for spring azure butterflies .
Building on the success of the Naturally Kiawah Demonstration Garden , Kiawah Island Golf Resort is again partnering with the Conservancy on a new garden project . In early 2023 , Sean Cannon , the Conservancy ’ s Restoration and Enhancement Specialist , approached Liz King , the Resort ’ s Director of Outdoor Programs , with an idea to expand the Naturally Kiawah Demonstration Garden . Through much discussion and collaboration between the two , this idea eventually grew into a plan for a new learning garden in a separate area of Night Heron Park . The garden , designed with the Charlestonbased landscape architecture design firm Surculus ,
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