Ask any national park enthusiast, and they ll tell you the same thing there s nothing like a hidden gem. While there s no denying the majesty that made Yosemite or Yellowstone household names, there s a unique allure to stumbling upon one of our nation s lesser known wonders and not seeing any other visitors for miles.
Though incredibly close by just 18 miles from Columbia, South Carolina Congaree National Park has managed to stay under the radar since its national park designation in 2003. One step inside the nearly 27,000-acre park and visitors are transported much further back in time. Here, Spanish moss drapes from bald cypresses in the largest expanse of old-growth hardwoods in the United States. The vast floodplain is covered by a towering canopy of ancient pines, elms, oaks, hickories, maples, and cypresses more than 100 feet tall–higher than the Amazon rainforest.
30 Containers for Covered Porches That Will Thrive in the Shade Some containers have all the sun. These shady planters, though, are having plenty of fun sans sun. We’ve gathered all of our favorite shade-loving containers to inspire your planting this season. If you have a shady yard or want to perk up a shaded spot in your home, at your front door, on your porch, or around your patio, put together a pretty shade-loving container that’s also easy to care for. Plants like caladiums and creeping Jenny will thrive in the shade, and they’ll also add great color and movement to your planters. If you’re looking for the best plants for the shade and great flowers that thrive in shade, also reach for impatiens, coleus, sweet potato vines, mazus, vincas, torenias, violas, petunias, pansies, hellebores (Lenten roses), hostas, astilbes, and trilliums. They look great and will thrive in full to partial s