Spring flowers, events bloom at Mt. Cuba Center in Delaware

Melissa Starkey

Guest Columnist

Spring is a magical time of year, especially at a botanic garden. Every day the gardens wake up a little more from their winter slumber, and then suddenly, blooms begin to burst, leaving you awestruck.

At least, that is how it feels at Mt. Cuba Center, a native plant garden in northern Delaware known for its incredible spring wildflowers.

The early ephemeral blooms will just begin flowering when our gates for general admission on Wednesday, April 3, but by the time our annual Wildflower Weekend celebration arrives from April 19 to 21, the gardens will explode with vibrant colors and lush landscapes. While exploring our magnificent displays at Wildflower Weekend, guests also can enjoy activities for the whole family including live music, food, crafts, games, and more.

. Enjoy the beauty of spring at Mt. Cuba’s ponds after they open their gates for general admission on Wednesday, April 3.

And Wildflower Weekend is just the beginning! We have a fantastic schedule of engaging events, classes, new garden tours, and exciting updates in the garden. Our newly revamped South Garden, now Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible, has been completely redesigned to highlight the beauty of native plants while maintaining Marian Coffin’s historic formal garden design. Together with our naturalistic Woods Path and the Woodland Glade gardens, there is now a fully accessible route so all guests can connect with nature at Mt. Cuba.

For those who are ready to dig into Mt. Cuba’s award-winning classes, a great place to start is Spring Gardening Saturday on Saturday, April 6 — a day full of gardening classes to get your season off to a good start. In Gardening for Year-round Interest, students will learn which wildflowers, shrubs and trees to plant for both aesthetic and ecological benefit through all four seasons. For those who want to know how to attract and support butterflies, bees, and birds, check out Keystone Species for Pollinator Gardens. Or, dig deeper into the world of native plants and animals in a conservation class, including Terrific Trillium (Saturday, April 13), The Secret Lives of Spring Wildflowers (Thursday, April 25), and Learning the Language of Birds (Saturday, April 27); or our fascinating new guided tour, Demystifying Toxic Plants.

Native spring ephemerals, such as Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica) are a favorite of guests and bumblebees alike! Learn more about native plants in Mt. Cuba’s gardening and conservation classes.

In addition to gardening and conservation classes, Mt. Cuba also offers wellness and art programs for all levels. Practice yoga in the beautiful setting of nature; drop in for a session; or sign up for the whole series, which starts Wednesday, April 10.

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Other upcoming spring wellness programs include Introduction to T’ai Chi Chih® (Thursday, May 2); Sound Bath Meditation (Sunday, May 5); and our new Health & Well-Being Tour, which discusses the benefits of experiences in nature. If you’re feeling artistic, check out one of our many spring art classes, such as Pyrography: Woodburning for Beginners (Friday, April 12), Nature Photography (Sunday, June 2), or Painting the Marvelous Monarch (Wednesday, June 19).

Guests during Wildflower Weekend at Mt. Cuba Center on April 19-21 will be delighted with beautiful spring blooms, garden tours, and many fun activities.

We offer gardening, conservation, art, wellness, and food and drink classes all year long, so explore our newly released Spring and Summer Program Guide for the latest.

Classes aren’t the only activities on offer at Mt. Cuba this season; we have events for all ages! On Saturday, May 18, bring the family for Kids Create, a unique children’s program combining art and nature in the garden, or share tales of nature with your little ones in Story Time Sprouts, which runs every Thursday morning from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Friday, May 17, kicks off our popular Twilight on the Terrace series, which continues monthly for a chance to unwind in the garden with evening performances, food, and drinks, and garden tours. These events and Wildflower Weekend are included with general admission to the gardens and are free for members.

Mt. Cuba’s latest trial garden research showed that Amsonia plants, including wideleaf bluestar (Amsonia tabernaemontana) pictured here, are beautiful and dependable native plants for the home garden.

In addition to all the exciting events and classes this year, Mt. Cuba also recently released our latest trial garden report: "Amsonia for the Mid-Atlantic Region,'' free to download on our website. Amsonia, also known as bluestars, are an excellent group of plants with multi-season interest, disease resistance, and adaptability. Many of the selections tested performed well in our trial, so the hardest part is selecting your favorites. Check our website for all of our Trial Garden research, including recent reports on sedges, hydrangeas, and coneflowers, and find top performers for your garden.

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Mt. Cuba will be open for visitation Wednesdays through Sundays, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. starting Wednesday, April 3. Whether you stop by for a class, event, or to connect with nature in the gardens and on the trails, we look forward to sharing this enchanting season with you!

Melissa Starkey, Ph.D., is an instructor for the Ecological Gardening Certificate Program and the Marketing and Communications Manager at Mt. Cuba Center.