Winterthur Field Trip

Fairy garden at Winterthur

I recently visited Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library in Wilmington, DE, and was really impressed.  I am only going to review the garden (this is a garden blog and we did not have time for the museum anyway!).  We visited in early May, so got to see many early spring ephemerals, like Virginia bluebells and woodland trillium (as a matter of fact, the place was stuffed with a variety of trillums):

There was an amazing collection of highly fragrant lilacs: light to deep purple, white and cream.  You could smell the lilacs a long way away!

In addition, the garden was stuffed with azaleas, dogwoods, white and lilac redbuds, bluebells, and primrose.

The most charming feature of the garden was the Enchanted Forest.  You do not have to go with a child to enjoy it, from the woodsman's cottage, the witch's hut, the large birds nest, story- telling circles and foot bridge.  This is the way a children's garden should be: it is a creatively designed, woodland space, that enhances a child's imagination.  As you walk through, the path twists and turns, exposing unexpected areas hidden behind a screening of plants.  It is delightful!

You can get information on the garden and museum at:
http://www.winterthur.org/
The admission was a bit steep, at $18 per person, but this also includes the museum. If you have membership at a reciprocal garden, as we did, it is free as a member benefit.
Happy garden visiting!