March is prime time in Charleston, as the city’s wintry palette transforms into a kaleidoscope of hues from delicate to dazzling, setting off the city’s architectural gems to perfection. This month, take part in tours, talks and walks that celebrate Charleston’s matchless architecture and landscaping.

For antique buffs, theCharleston Art & Antiques Forum examines American material culture in depth, with noted national and international arts experts addressing topics relating to connoisseurship and the interpretation of American antiques (March 14 – 17). On the heels of the Forum, the Charleston International Antiques Show showcases period furnishings, decorative pieces, and fine art from the late 17th to 20th centuries, including vintage jewelry, oriental rugs, ceramics, architectural elements, garden furniture, porcelains, needlework and silver (March 23 – 25).

Visit private homes and gardens during the Spring Festival of Houses and Gardens, a series of award-winning tours showcasing Charleston’s distinctive architecture, history, gardens, and culture. These tours provide a rare opportunity for guests to go inside the private houses and gardens of some of America’s most beautiful historic residences dating to the 18th century (March 22 – April 21). For more peeks behind the garden wall, take part in the 77th annual Garden Club of Charleston House and Garden Tours, which features decorations and floral arrangements by members of the Garden Club of Charleston (March 23 – 24). You can also join the American Boxwood Society as it teams up with the Charleston Horticultural Society for the 52nd Annual American Boxwood Symposium. Behold some of Charleston’s most prized gardens during a full day of garden tours, followed by a day of lectures not only on boxwood, but also on local landscape history, topiary, and more (March 25 – 26).

For interior design inspiration, tour the Charleston Symphony Designer Showhouse, which annually features an architecturally significant space transformed by some of our area’s most talented designers, creating a stunning visual display. This year, the Whilden-Hirsch House at 73 Rutledge Street will provide architectural inspiration for the designers’ work. Lunch is available Monday through Saturday, with musicians performing throughout the day. All proceeds benefit the Charleston Symphony Orchestra (March 15 – April 15). For design tips from a master tastemaker, attend the Art of Design Spring Luncheon with Carolyne Roehm, the renowned designer. Roehm will share her knowledge, enthusiasm, and extraordinary experiences that define the quintessential “Roehm style” at a noon luncheon in the Gibbes’ courtyard (March 30).

Enjoy—and remember to stop and smell the flowers!

See All Charleston Real Estate Stories