One of the best ways to spend the intervals between meals in Charleston is to visit the flower gardens that grow riotously in the semitropical climate. The most spectacular of all are at Middleton Place, an 18th-century plantation just outside town (4300 Ashley River Rd.; 843-556-6020), but you can see many small and handsome gardens on a walking tour in the city center.

Adjacent to City Hall, at the intersection of Broad and Meeting Streets, is tranquil Washington Park, where night herons nest in the live oak canopy. Directly across Broad Street, the St. Michael's Episcopal Church Cemetery is a more gothic expression of civic pride, with tangles of yellow jasmine vine and ancient lilies popping up among the tilting headstones.

A walk down Meeting Street lets you peep into the private gardens of some of the most prestigious addresses. Number 54 is a must-see, with boxwood, camellias and azaleas framed by a wisteria vine that winds, python-like, through the iron fence. Number 51 is The Nathaniel Russell House, with a garden that's open to the public and perfect for wandering.

After reaching the oak trees and cannons in White Point Gardens at the foot of Meeting Street, turn up Church Street. This brick thoroughfare meanders through the residential heart of the old city, offering views of hidden fountains and crumbling garden walls (don't miss Numbers 19 and 38). Finally, at Numbers 89 to 91, you'll find Cabbage Row; its archways and courtyards inspired the setting for Porgy and Bess.