Hatcher Garden is a community-supported urban garden in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Started by Harold Hatcher, the garden has grown to become a beautiful woodland preserve that provides a home for wildlife and a display for the nature’s beauty.
In 1969 Josephine and Harold Hatcher decided to retire to Spartanburg, South Carolina, from Indianapolis, Indiana, where they had lived for over thirty years. They came south partly because of the warmer weather and the seasonal changes that make gardening a delightful endeavor and also because their daughter Alice and her family lived here.
As the garden continued to grow through the 1970s, members of the Spartanburg Men’s Garden Club, the Spartanburg Garden Club Council, Spartanburg Community College, and the Unitarian Universalist Church became intrigued with the Hatchers’ vision for their garden and began to volunteer their time and resources to support the garden’s development.
The Hatchers were not wealthy landowners. Limited in resources, but not in creative vision, they raised money for their projects by buying and self-renovating adjacent properties for rental income. They chose to give the garden to the Spartanburg County Foundation which leaves the garden to the Spartanburg community in perpetuity.
Community gifts of time, talent and money from volunteers and local businesses keep Hatcher Garden and Woodland Preserve running smoothly so that it can educate and inspire.
The garden is located at 820 John B. White Sr. Blvd. in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The garden is open every day of the year during daylight hours and there is no charge for admission. The garden is a great place for a casual stroll and a wonderful spot for a picnic.
Visit www.hatchergarden.org for additional information.