Downtown’s New Idea Garden

In partnership with the Charleston Parks Conservancy’s new fall festival, Bloom Charleston, we look forward to hosting one of the kick-off discussions centered around the redesign and beautification of Colonial Lake through the newly created Idea Garden. Taking place October 17–18, 2025, the weekend celebration will spotlight the art of garden design alongside bold, forward-thinking innovation. Join Stephen Eich, Partner of Hollander Design, Kellen Goodell, Director of Park Operations for CPC, along with Stephanie Hunt, a 20-year veteran freelance writer as well as Editor-at-large for Charleston Magazine, to discuss the intentional design and opportunity created for one of downtown’s most beloved public green spaces.

About Stephen Eich

Stephen Eich is a partner at Hollander Design, where he directs the design, development, and construction of city-based projects ranging from residential terraces and corporate headquarters to hospitality and park redevelopment. Since joining the firm in 2010, Stephen has overseen the design and management of some of the firm’s most highly publicized and notable projects in NYC and abroad. Stephen’s hospitality, residential, and office projects have won accolades from the ASLA, AIA, and ICAA, and recognition in publications such as Elle Décor and Architectural Digest. A sought-after expert on rooftop and on-structure landscapes, Stephen is a regular speaker on the opportunities and complexities of urban landscape design.

About Kellen Goodell

Kellen Goodell is the Director of Park Operations for the Charleston Parks Conservancy. He joined the Conservancy as a Horticulturist in August of 2010 and over the last 15 years has worn many hats and led many different projects, programs and initiatives working in the community.

A Clearwater, FL native, Kellen is a graduate of the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Horticulture and Sustainable Agriculture. In 2009, he interned at Moore Farms in Lake City, SC, working in the botanical garden and 2-acre organic vegetable farm. He was fortunate enough to visit the Netherlands to meet his idol, garden designer Piet Oudolf and see his home garden in Hummelo and public garden projects in Utrecht and Rotterdam. Kellen enjoys the daily challenges and rewards of managing elevated horticulture and park experiences in the Conservancy’s 25 parks and gardens throughout Charleston.

Kellen is an active member of the South Carolina Public Gardens Association and was named to the Charleston Regional Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Honorees for 2025. He served as a panelist at the Hope Summit in 2023 and gives garden and horticulture talks and tours to Garden Clubs and supporters of the Conservancy. Kellen has had photography and interviews as well as numerous articles and opinion pieces published in a variety of publications including the The New York Times, Post & Courier and Charleston Magazine. In his free time, Kellen enjoys helping his friends and family with their garden and plant questions, traveling, reading, music and always staying active, especially with his husky, Bonsai.

About Stephanie Hunt

Stephanie Hunt is a freelance writer and editor with a passion for storytelling across a wide spectrum of genres. She contributes design and travel stories as well as in-depth features and profiles to a number of regional and national titles, including Veranda, Garden & Gun, Southern Living, Southbound, Coastal Living and LUXE, among others. She is the author of At Home in the South, Simply Chic and the just released (October 2025) Enchanting Gardens. A North Carolina native and proud Duke Blue Devil, Stephanie has called Charleston home for 30 years, raising her family here, and covering topics near and dear to her heart and community as Editor at Large for Charleston Magazine.

About the Charleston Parks Conservancy

Charleston Parks Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring the people of Charleston to connect with their parks and create stunning public places and a strong community. Since 2007, the Conservancy has partnered with the City of Charleston to create and sustain parks, gardens, and trails. Fall of 2025 the conservancy will introduce a new fall festival, Bloom Charleston, to celebrate the unveiling of Charleston’s first Idea Garden at Colonial Lake through an exciting panel of international speakers, immersive horticultural experiences and engaging inspiration stations, a plant and garden book sale, art activations, and more. Taking place October 17–18, 2025, this two-day celebration will spotlight the art of garden design alongside bold, forward-thinking innovation. The festival’s centerpiece will be the unveiling of the Idea Garden at Colonial Lake—three acres of beautiful, newly restored public gardens set within a historic public park that are designed to inspire and empower anyone who wants to create beautiful and sustainable gardens of their own.