DAYtrip
Mt. Cuba Center, the Perfect Walk in the Woods
by Cheval Force Opp
From Corn Fields to Wildflowers
Come for a walk in the woods. It is that perfect day. Woodland paths slope gently and the quiet calms our voices to softer tones. Surrounding us, wild flowers are strewn under dappled shade. So many blooms cluster near the path, we slow our stride to stop and admire them. In the distance, a gurgling stream tempts us to walk further in anticipation of marsh flowers. Welcome to a Mt. Cuba Center in Delaware. Mt. Cuba Center is an acclaimed horticultural institution specializing in Piedmont native wildflowers, shrubs, and trees. The Appalachian Piedmont region includes the gently rolling hills that lie between the Atlantic Coastal Plain and the Appalachian Mountains of the eastern United States. Mt. Cuba began in 1935 as the private estate and garden of Mr. and Mrs. Lamont du Pont Copeland, gar-
den lovers and native plant collectors. Together, they lovingly invested over 50 years of expertise and resources to create a series of gardens rooms combining formal spaces with woodland walks eventually adorning over 600 acres. The couple transformed the corn fields and pasture land surrounding their Colonial Revival-style residence with the guidance of premier landscape architects, including Thomas Sears, Marian Coffin, and Seth Kelsey.
Woodland Tours by Appointment
In 2003, the stately brick Copeland family home was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Entry to the property is through an iron gate of oversized stylized wildflowers that portends the elegant plants to come. After a 15-minute video giving the Mt. Cuba Center history and mission, you join a small group for a docent-led walk. A typical mile walk
takes two hours, with significant plants identified and questions answered by the knowledgeable docents. The elegant home, now the administrative and educational building, is complemented on the south side by several garden rooms seamlessly integrated with wide brick paths. Exiting the back door onto a generous terrace, the gently sweeping hills are tree-laced. It is tempting to stop there, sitting on one of the garden seats, relaxing into a silence broken only by birds trilling, but there is much to see. Turning right gives a glimpse of the tall gum tree allee, a short walk down brick steps. Pausing before turning the corner of the house allows a good view of Andre Harvey’s sculpture, “Samara Turning with the Wind,” a 10-foot-tall bronze maple seedpod anchored on a three-foot base of local stone. It is a striking focal point, while, on both sides, sheltered under the native trees are pinkshell azaleas, fothergilla, shadSUMMER 10
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DAYtrip bush, and wildflowers. The rows of colorful blooms and foliage create a colorful watercolor effect during the year. Turning the corner of the house the terrace and south garden spread out in a generous, symmetrical pattern. The brick-walled terrace is bordered with beds of native deciduous flame azaleas. They contribute explosive bright-yellow to orange-red blooms in May. The Round Garden at the far end of the South Terrace adds to the setting with the sound of water Nodding Trillium (Trillium cernuum). from a Maltese-cross-shaped so I could stay here indefinitely. It is the pool. Crowded around the pool are perfect woodland. colorful seasonal bulbs and annuals The walk continues down on to the bordered in boxwood. It is the perfect West Slope Path, looping past studwaypoint for the stroll. In the spring, ies in texture using blue phlox, white crayon-blue colored delphiniums soldier foamflower, tallow bellworts, and trilstraight, five feet tall, surrounded by liums interspersed with lacy fern varicherry-red tulips. eties. Six-foot mature rhododendron, Just a few steps away up from the mountain laurel, and American hollies sunken Round Garden is the lilac allee. stand artfully placed like paintings in Two double rows contain 25 cultivars a gallery. The sound of water greets of French hybrid lilacs that perfume entry to the bottom of the slope, where the air with their heavy sweet scent. a glade is crossed with rivulets rushThe flowers’ showy panicles range from ing down to four small ponds. A simple white to pink to shades of rich purple, foot bridge surrounded by bog plants blooming froth-like in May. It is easy rises between two of the ponds. The to see how pleasant this would be for tulip trees; high bower reflects gold and family relaxation and entertaining. green down on the undulating surface Turning right again around the buildof the ponds. Water plants familiar and ing, we come back full circle to the strange edge the ponds, fed by cascadpaved entry to move away from the ing streams. Several garden seats offer home. As we pass by the brick walls meditative views of the restful vignette. ahead, tall, mature tulip trees mark The perfect setting for some meditative the way down a paved path to the soft, soul to sit with a good book, fine wine, mulched woodland paths. Under the and some bread. high canopy, the large tulip tree leaves Leaving the glade, the Dogwood Path shaped like a maple tree with the tip leads back up the hill past openings snipped off flutter in the breeze overflooded with deep purple-blue flowered head. At our feet, an ornamental carpet bottle gentians in the summer. A large of groundcover and shrubs gives a seameadow edges the path, crowded sonal progression of colorful blooms with native grasses such as little blueand textured foliage. stem, broom-sedge, and Indian grass. Splashed between the graceful grasses Seldom-seen Wildflowers in the summer are bright-colored butThis is the woodland garden of plant terfly weed, black-eyed Susan, and lover’s dreams. Weeds and invasive purple coneflower. In fall, the grasses plants are banished, deer kept outside, turn to shades of burnished yellows everything interesting labeled. Seldomand oranges. seen wildflowers crowd the path edges. Understory trees like dogwood deliTrillium Envy cately accent the golden green light Mt. Cuba’s signature garden space bathing the vistas. On my visit, I wonrests at the top of this path. In April dered if they had an adoption program and May, thousands of rare and com24
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mon spring-flowering native trilliums give plant people trillium envy. Later in the season, companion wildflowers display their delicate beauty. The staff’s expertise on the genus Trillium, which they have propagated, developed, and cultivated for more than two decades, was recognized in 2002 by the North American Plant Collections Consortium (NAPCC). Mt. Cuba Center is the foremost institutional authority in North America on this group of plants.
Rare Collections
Committed to protecting, preserving, and improving the natural lands and the benefits of biodiversity, the staff monitor and protect rare plant populations, remove invasive species, and restore degraded habitats. As a pioneer public garden, Mt. Cuba Center in 1996 was one of the first public gardens in American to be recognized by the NAPCC for collection management of eastern North American wild gingers (Hexastylis). The collection now numbers over 30 taxa and 10 species available for visitors to view and study. A visit to the Trial Garden is a fitting end to the walk. Mt. Cuba Center’s mission is to inspire, educate, and conserve. The center’s research includes evaluation of specific plant groups for ornamental value and pest resistance. Some plant groups under formal and informal study include: purple coneflower, wild indigo, tickseed, blazingstar, narrowleaf ironweed, Canada lily, and long-sepal beardtongue. Fifty-five species of rare natives are located on Mt. Cuba Center’s natural lands, seven of those so rare they are considered to have five or fewer in the state. Twenty-one others are only found on six to 20 sites in Delaware. Four examples are: Swamp buttercup (Ranunculus caricetorum), Nodding trillium (Trillium cernuum), Bigleaf aster (Aster schreberi), and Spring chickweed (Stellaria alsine). The beauty found on the woodland walks at Mt. Cuba is unique. Plant lovers everywhere are grateful for the generous donation that supports the Mt.
DAYtrip Cuba staff in protecting and preserving this treasure for future gardeners. Go take a walk at Mt. Cuba and see the beauty of Piedmont natives in this enchanting pristine woodland.
Upcoming Events
• Meadow Studies-Late Summer Saturday, August 21, 10:30AM–12:30PM Investigate the diverse palette of meadow plants that paint new pictures as the season unfolds. Dave Korbonits will share his 20 years of experience in meadow gardening and introduce you to his favorite picks. The texture and structure of the meadow changes dramatically each month, so take advantage of these exciting classes. More classes will be scheduled in the fall. Take home a meadow plant at each session. Cost: $10. • Hummingbirds: From Your Yard to Costa Rica and Back Friday, August 27, 7:00–9:00PM Ruby-throated hummingbirds are busy multi-nationals. They travel to parts of North America and even all the way up to Alaska to breed and then head south to the tropics to overwinter. Join
Bill Hilton in this illustrated lecture as he reveals the natural history of these feathered dynamos. Included is a discussion on hummingbird banding and how to attract and protect hummingbirds. Cost: $25. The web site provides details of other current class offerings and tours at www.mtcubacenter.org.
Plan Your Visit
Reservations are required and all visits are by guided tours. The tours provide an excellent overview of naturalistic gardens. Learn about the history, design, and plant diversity that make Mt. Cuba Center a unique regional treasure. Each tour is conducted by a knowledgeable docent and includes a group of approximately 10-15 people. To book a tour, sign up online at www.mtcubacenter.org or call 302.239.4244, Monday through Friday, 8:00AM–4:30PM. For groups of 10 or more, contact the center staff via email at: grouptours@mtcubacenter.org. Garden tours are a two-hour stroll through hillside woodland gardens, occasionally on uneven ground and
unpaved paths. The total distance walked on garden tours is usually about one-half mile. Comfortable outdoor walking shoes and weather-appropriate clothing are recommended when visiting. Due to the uneven natural paths and hilly terrain, gardens are not wheelchair-accessible. Strollers are also not permitted. Mt. Cuba Center does not offer or sell food to visitors. Drinking water is available in the Main House. Mt. Cuba Center is located near Wilmington, DE, on Barley Mill Road, four miles north of Route 141. The gardens are a convenient drive from Baltimore, MD (90 minutes), and Washington, DC (2½ hours). o Special thanks to Mt. Cuba Center’s staff and especially to Peggy Anne Montgomery, Assistant Research Horticulturist. Photos courtesy of Mt. Cuba Center. Cheval Force Opp lives and gardens in Dunn Loring, VA. When she is not visiting gardens, she lectures and writes about gardens. Owner of Garden Tours LLC, she leads custom garden tours to the more than 100 public gardens in the Capital Region. o
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