The wildflowers of Sullivan’s Island
David DeAntonio checks for new growth of wildflowers along Station 22 1/2 on Sullivan's Island
By Kristin Hackler
But turn and turn,
the crisp petals remain
brief, translucent, greenfastened,
barely touching at the edges:
blades of limpid seashell. – William Carlos Williams
Starting in late February, early morning visitors to Sullivan’s Island begin to notice a person quietly watering both sides of the sidewalk for almost a block along Station 22 ½ Street. Residents know what he’s up to, but it seems curious until the first warm days start to descend on the Lowcountry.
As the days grow longer and the sunlight gently toasts the sandy soil of Sullivan’s Island hundreds upon thousands of native wildflowers begin springing up along the faithfully watered section of sidewalk; black eyed susans bursting with sun-bright yellows, Indian blankets radiating every shade of the warm color spectrum from blood red to beaming yellow, and daisies dancing, snow-white heads nodding in the ocean breeze.
No one pays him to do it, but David DeAntonio has been taking care of this last patch of native island wildflowers for many years.
“It reminds me of how the island used to be,” said De Antonio. “We used to come out here, me and my family, and we would go for long walks around the island. My mother especially loved the wildflowers.”
DeAntonio’s grandfather first bought a house on Sullivan’s in 1928, and David believes that his Uncle Joe was probably one of the last people on the island to have a chicken coop. As a tribute to this, David has a small concrete rooster statue in his front yard. It makes him smile every time he sees it. David himself has lived in a few homes around the island, but this home, located on the bridge side of Doctor Durst’s office, is probably one of his favorites. It’s small and comfortable with a yard perfect for growing flowers; and his location along the busy road of Station 22 ½ allows him to share his love of wildflowers with residents and visitors alike.
As the season slowly but surely shifts from winter to spring, David has been walking along his yard and sidewalk, checking for the new
Black eyed susan sprouts
growth of wildflowers. Even though the plants may only be an inch or so tall with only a handful of pale green leaves to their name, David can spot them as easily as one might pick a solitary bird out of the sky. If the plants are in a less-than-ideal location, such as in a common walkway or in a spot that will be shady when the leaves come back to the trees, David carefully uproots them and moves them to a place where they’ll prosper. Dry plants from last year are shaken to loosen the seed pods, and he’s already prepping to begin the process of daily watering to that the beautiful sun flowers will once again smile on the residents of the island.
Keep your eyes open for the first blossoms along Station 22 ½ Street. David expects the first flowers to start opening in mid-March and from there, it will only be a matter of time before passerby are smiling along with the native blooms and warming themselves in a little patch of island history.
Hey David, nice article. Doodle (Ann’s friend)