Mt Cuba Gardens, Hockessin, DE
A rare day in May found me walking in the woods down a path flanked with blooming ephemeral spring flowers. There were jack-in-the-pulpit, and the trillions in yellow, wine, red, white and pink were all about the ground. The native florida flame azalea shrub with its deep orange blossoms added intense color in the green forest. The tulip poplar trees shot 100 feet into the sky providing a full canopy of cooling shade. My destination was the lowland ponds. I wasn’t sure how it could be any prettier and yet when I arrived it was wonderful.
Mt. Cuba is committed to research on native plants on its 500 acres. The garden was originally developed by Mr. & Mrs Lammot du Pont Copeland. The rolling hills once grew corn but after they bought the land, built their home and began to develop the garden the focus was to revitalize the land.
Over 70 years the gardens have evolved into naturalistic woodland landscape.
The woodland ponds are alive with tadpoles and fish. The surrounding banks grow ferns, phlox, goldenrod and Japanese primroses. The birds are singing, a bullfrog croaks claiming his territory. There is time to sit and savor this rare day in May.