Discover which orchids grow in your area and learn how Mt. Cuba Center is working to preserve them and their fragile habitats. Adrienne Bozic, Orchid Research Fellow, describes the citizen science project designed to identify and locate native orchids throughout the state and presents the current status of their diversity and distribution based on her findings. Learn how you can help save Delaware’s vanishing orchids and take home a ladies’ tresses orchid for your garden.
Capture the beauty of Mt. Cuba Center’s gardens during the “golden hours”, that period of time just before sunset when the quality of light is soft, warm, and even. Receive professional guidance on the technical and aesthetic elements of evening photography from Chris Starr, an extraordinary photographer and Mt. Cuba Center employee. Capture those epic sunset moments and leave with a new appreciation of nature at nightfall. All levels of experience welcome. Bring your camera, lenses, tripod, and camera manual.
Rain date for this event is Thursday, May 3, 2018.
Some of the most beautiful native trees and shrubs in our region are in full flower in late spring. From pink-blooming azaleas to the bright whites of serviceberries, there is something for everyone. Learn 10 species that are suitable for sun or shade, provide structure to the garden, and support native wildlife.
This is a great class for the beginner gardener.
Rain date for this class is Friday, May 4, 2018.
Enjoy this early morning opportunity to photograph the gardens of Mt. Cuba Center during the “magic hours” when light quality is less intense, shadows are soft, and colors appear richer. Photographers of all experience levels receive professional guidance on the technical and aesthetic elements of photography from Chris Starr, a Mt. Cuba Center employee and highly accomplished photographer. Be creative, find inspiration, and leave with a better appreciation of the natural world. Bring your camera, lenses, tripod, and camera manual.
Rain date for this event is Saturday, May 5, 2018.
Want to help the environment? Grab some plates and start feasting on invasive plants! There are many tasty recipes utilizing nonnative plants as their star ingredients. Join plant foragers Kevin and Diana as they discuss how garlic mustard, Japanese knotweed, stinging nettle, and other exotic species can be harvested, cooked, and eaten. Eat your way out of a bad situation and become an “invasivore” today! (Samples will be served.)
Many non-native plants once considered tame garden dwellers have escaped cultivation and become invasive. These plants often out-compete native species for necessary resources and do not provide a diverse ecosystem for insects, birds, and microorganisms. Learn trees, shrubs, perennials, and groundcovers that can substitute for invasive plants, meet your landscaping needs, and put your garden to work for wildlife.
While prairies, grasslands, and meadows are critical habitats for pollinators, there are many other opportunities to support our insect allies and increase plant diversity in our gardens. In the Northeast, where creating wildflower meadows can be challenging, the value of woody plants in pollinator conservation is often overlooked. Kelly Gill of the Xerces Society presents a suite of high-value trees and shrubs that provide habitat for native bees, butterflies, and other flower visitors. A tour of Mt. Cuba Center’s gardens to see these plant-insect interactions first hand completes the day.
Rain date for this class is Friday, May 18, 2018.
An exciting new trend in landscape design recommends we devote less space to lawns by adding more ecologically diverse plantings. The incentives are many: water conservation, reduced fertilizer and pesticide use, increased biodiversity, and enhanced curb appeal. Learn how to create year-round visual interest, save time and money, and increase your property value by replacing parts of your lawn with hardy groundcovers, perennials, and shrubs.
Embellishing a simple birdhouse with twigs, leaves, and other natural objects brings an organic, woodsy look to it that can easily be incorporated into your garden. Start with a wooden house and paint it or attach cut-out pictures to the sides, then enhance it with a variety of materials from the garden. Make two and use them as decorative tabletop pieces, or let nature take its course for birds to nest in them. All materials are included in the registration fee.
Are you fascinated by native azaleas but aren’t sure how to grow them? Steven Kristoph examines several species and cultivars of these attractive yet underappreciated shrubs and discusses the basic elements of successfully growing them. Discover azaleas that have intoxicating fragrance and extraordinarily colorful flowers, and learn the best ways to integrate these captivating plants into your garden.
Rain date for this class is Friday, May 18, 2018.
Mid-Atlantic serpentine barrens comprise a rare Piedmont grassland community that has been maintained for thousands of years by the magnesium-rich, calcium-poor rocks that underlie it and periodic fires, grazing, and logging activities. Many acres have been lost to development or have reverted to pine-oak forest due to lack of disturbance. Chris Hoess, Chair of the Friends of the State Line Serpentine Barrens, discusses the natural history of the site as you encounter a variety of rare and unusual species, including Michaux’s stitchwort, round-leaved fameflower, and lyre-leaved rock cress. Bring your lunch and be prepared for hiking over rocky and moderately steep terrain. Class size is limited.
Although van transportation is available from Mt. Cuba Center on a first-come, first served basis, carpooling is encouraged. For more information on travel arrangements, email us, or call 302.239.8807. For those preferring to meet at the site, driving instructions are provided upon registration.
Rain date for this trip is Sunday, May 20, 2018.
Weeds are an inevitable nuisance for gardeners, so being able to accurately ID them helps keep them at bay! Learn how to recognize the most common annual and perennial lawn and garden weeds using leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds. The spring section focuses on early season weeds, and the fall section covers species that should be removed before winter, making next year’s garden more maintenance free. Ecologically friendly methods of managing weed infestations are discussed and demonstrated in both sections. Participants are welcome to bring in specimens for identification.
Rain date for this class is Thursday, May 31, 2018.
A living wreath combines the decorative beauty of traditional holiday wreaths with live plants. Using Mt. Cuba Center’s plant introduction, Viola walteri ‘Silver Gem’, learn how to create and maintain a beautiful wreath to use as a stunning centerpiece on a patio table or as a unique wall hanging. Bring gardening gloves and a box to transport your arrangement home. All materials are included in the registration fee.
December 9, 3:00 pm
For more than four decades, lifestyle icon Carolyne Roehm has enjoyed a storied career spanning the world of fashion, decorative arts, gardening, entertaining, and publishing. Join America’s "ultimate tastemaker" as she reminisces on her remarkable life and constant creative thread that has remained throughout. Book signing to follow lecture. Members free. $15 per nonmember