Garden Programs

Twice as Nice
One Ticket -- Two du Pont Gardens!
March 9–April 30

Friends in town this spring? Share your love of the Brandywine Valley with them. For only $20, visit both Longwood Gardens and Winterthur, including a guided tour of the Winterthur mansion.

Flower Power: Floral Artistry at Winterthur Exhibition
March 9–June 6

Widely known as a collector, horticulturist, and interior designer, Henry Francis du Pont combined these passions in the glorious flower arrangements he created for his home. Du Pont carefully considered color, shape, texture, and fragrance in developing complementary floral designs for his rooms and dining table.

In this exhibition, explore this crucial—and often overlooked—aspect of du Pont’s design prowess, from color palettes to specific flower and vessel choices.
Included with all admission tickets. Members free.

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Bank to Bend:
The Wild Garden in the 21st Century
March 13, 11:00 am

In his 1870 classic The Wild Garden, William Robinson called upon gardeners to bring a bit of authentic wildness into their home landscapes, and the book incited a revolution toward naturalism that continues today. H. F. du Pont owned a copy of Robinson’s book, which heavily influenced the March Bank and many other parts of Winterthur. The Wild Garden: Expanded Edition has just been published with color photography and additional text by gardener, photographer, and writer Rick Darke. In this multimedia presentation, Darke will share his insights on wild gardening and, through historic and contemporary examples, will explain why it is the most enjoyable, vibrant, and sustainable approach for our time.
$20; $15 Members. To register, call 800.448.3883 or 302.888.4600.

Second Saturdays Garden Walk:
Minor Bulbs and the Wild Garden
March 13, 1:00 pm, Visitor Center

After the Bank to Bend lecture, join Winterthur horticulturists on a walk through our own wild garden. Learn fascinating, little-known details about the plants there and the Winterthur estate. Dress for the weather and wear walking shoes. In case of inclement weather, call 302.888.4915 after 10:00 am. Walks last approximately 90 minutes. Members free. Included with all admission tickets.

Floral-Arranging Class: Spring Harkens
Saturday, March 20
9:30 am-12:00 pm
Meeting Location: Greenhouse Bldg. #68

Enjoy walking the March Bank on the first day of spring and then return to the headhouse (Bldg. #68) to create your own lush garden basket filled to the brim with early spring-blooming plants. This basket of bulbs in flower will provide weeks of spring pleasure and can be planted outside for returning beauty next year!

All material will be provided, but please bring clippers. $65; $55 Members

Lost Gardens of the Brandywine Exhibition
March 27 - July 25, 2010

Long known for its lush public gardens, the Brandywine Valley is also home to private gardens whose names ring out from another age. In this stunning exhibition, explore these hidden and lost gems through rare early color images of and garden relics from “one of the chief centers of horticulture in the United States.” Image of Winterthur Sundial Garden courtesy of Hagley Museum and Library

Members free. Included with all admission tickets.


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Floral Arranging Class: Easter Centerpiece Treasure
Wednesday, March 31
6:30-8:30 pm
Meeting Location: Greenhouse Bldg. #68

Join Winterthur’s talented floral arrangers in creating a stunning centerpiece for your Easter table. The best of spring cut flowers will be chosen, and the style will reflect the design aesthetic of the estate: abundant elegant flowers in wonderful color.

Containers will be provided. Please bring clippers. $65; $55 Members

Becoming a Garden Volunteer
March 31, 9:30-11:00 a.m., Visitor Center, then Rotunda

Are you interested in learning more about gardening and about Winterthur? Join us for this introduction to volunteering in the Winterthur garden led by staff members and current volunteers.

Free, call 302.888.4779 to register.

Wednesdays at Winterthur
Wednesdays, April–October (except August), 11:30 am

Join us for demonstrations, talks, and guided walks covering a wide range of gardening topics. Check back soon for more details on individual programs.

2010 Schedule
April 7: Spring Into Action
April 14: Spring Ephemerals in Azalea Woods
April 21: Marian Coffin's Sundial Garden
April 28: Fairy Flowers of Enchanted Woods

May 5: Explore the Quarry Garden
May 12: Planning Scrumptious Summer Containers
May 19: Focus on Peonies
May 26: Sycamore Hill Highlights

June 2: Easy Shade Perennials
June 9: Hollies: ID and Culture
June 16: Twin-Scaling: Bulb Propagation
June 23: Hydrangea Magic
June 30: Ferns for Your Garden

July 7: Tree Climbing De-Mystified
July 14: Winterthur's Specimen Trees
July 21: Happy Cat Veggie Garden Tour
July 28: Maintaining a Wild Garden

September 1: Edible Ornamentals
September 8: Soil Structure: A Garden's Foundation
September 15: September Showstoppers
September 22: Warning: Nursery Stock to Avoid
September 29: Working Buildings of Farm Hill, from Past to Present

October 6: Wrought Iron to Nylon Webbing: Seating in the Winterthur Garden
October 13: Oak Hill: Fruits and Restoration
October 20: Bark: More Than Just Noise
October 27: Winterthur Garden History


Dress for the weather and wear walking shoes. Walks last 45-60 minutes. No reservations necessary.
Members free. Included with general admission.

Ikebana Class: Water in Composition
Saturday, April 10
9:30 am-12:00 pm
Meeting Location: Greenhouse Bldg. #68

Water is regarded as the conscious element of ikebana design. Study the various ways it can be incorporated, such as emphasizing the water surface, showing water through a glass, or combining different containers and shapes.
Containers will be provided. Please bring clippers. Instructor: Midori Tanimune
$48; $40 Members

Second Saturdays Garden Walk:
Winterhazels and Early Rhododendrons
April 10, 1:00 pm, Visitor Center

Learn fascinating, little-known details about the estate with our horticultural staff.

Dress for the weather and wear walking shoes. In case of inclement weather, call 302.888.4915 after 10:00 am. Walks last approximately 90 minutes. Members free. No reservations necessary. Included with all admission tickets.

Heirloom Bulbs for Restoration Gardens
April 17, 11:00 am

Flower bulbs were among the first plants in commerce and have been around long enough to even be mentioned in the Bible. Brent Heath, a third-generation bulb grower and co-owner of Brent and Becky’s Bulbs, will illustrate how historic bulbs can be used in the garden. Whether it's a colonial home or your grandmother's garden that you wish to restore with authentic bulbs of the time, your options include a palette full of colors, seasons, heights, shapes, and sizes. This talk will cover hundreds of possibilities that are from 50 to 500 hundred years old and will include slides taken in period gardens such as Monticello, Colonial Williamsburg, and Mount Vernon. $20; $10 Members.

Inspired by the Winterthur Garden
April 23 1:30–2:30 pm, Rotunda

Learn how to apply the artistic lessons of the Winterthur Garden to your home landscape with examples from the private gardens of Winterthur’s garden staff.

Optional tour follows. $20; $10 Members. Call 800.448.3883 or 302.888.4600.

Winterthur Invitational
Saturdays, May 1-29
This May, Winterthur Museum & Country Estate will display a series of magnificent historic automobiles. Step back in time to see the types of vehicles that graced the estate. Each Saturday will feature a different thematic display.

Display Schedule
May 1: The Early Years
May 8: Jazz Age
May 15: 1930s Vogue: Luxury, Innovation and Speed
May 22: Post War Years
May 29: Elegant Estate Automobiles
Members free. Included with general admission.

Second Saturdays Garden Walk:
Azaleas and Spring Wildflowers
May 8, 1:00 pm, Visitor Center

Learn fascinating, little-known details about the estate with our horticultural staff.

Dress for the weather and wear walking shoes. In case of inclement weather, call 302.888.4915 after 10:00 am. Walks last approximately 90 minutes. Members free. No reservations necessary. Included with all admission tickets.

Spring Photography Workshop
Focus on Flowers: Creating Floral Close-ups
May 14-16

Photographing the miniature world found in close-ups of flowers is both fascinating and endlessly challenging, especially for the outdoor photographer. In this intensive weekend workshop for intermediate students of photography, Allen Rokach (www.allenrokach.com) will share with you his expertise and long experience creating floral close-ups with the goals of helping you define your own aesthetic vision and master the techniques needed to serve that vision.

A series of classroom presentations, discussions and on-location outings on Winterthur's beautiful grounds, together with daily critique sessions, will give you the chance to discover the many approaches to shooting floral close-ups and meeting the challenges they present. You will learn how to:

1) Pre-visualize the image you want and use conventional and digital camera settings to achieve the results you desire
2) Turn to the right macro lens, extension tube or close-up filter for each image
3) Control sharpness in the subject and background for a variety of aesthetic effects
4) Analyze natural light and make the most of any weather or lighting situation
5) Use small electronic flash units creatively to serve your vision
6) Use color and composition for sometimes dramatic, sometimes subtle images and to put your personal stamp on your images
7) Explore creative solutions to difficulties such as working with motion
8) Use after-capture techniques with PhotoShop and PhotoShop Elements to refine your results.

Attendees should plan to bring the following equipment: digital camera; laptop (not necessary but very helpful to have with you); a macro lens or extension tubes or close-up filters; tripod; card reader and memory stick; and a small flash unit that can be fired off the camera.

Register early! Call 302.888.4600. Workshop maximum is 20. Should you have further questions about the content of the workshop or whether it is appropriate for you, please email the instructor directly (allen@allenrokach.com). Photo courtesy Allen Rokach.

$295; $245 Members

Creating a Vegetable Garden with Your Child
May 15 9:00–11:00 am, Rotunda

Discover the rewards of gardening as a family. We’ll show you how to get started with a simple herb and vegetable garden.

$20 per family; $10 per Member family. Call 800.448.3883 or 302.888.4600.

Second Saturdays Garden Walk:
Meadows and Ponds
June 12, 8:00 pm, Visitor Center

Learn fascinating, little-known details about the estate with our horticultural staff.

Bring your flashlight, dress for the weather and wear walking shoes. In case of inclement weather, call 302.888.4915 after 10:00 am. Walks last approximately 90 minutes. Members free. No reservations necessary. Included with all admission tickets.

KIDS GROW Children’s Vegetable Garden
June 12–August 7 Saturdays, 8:00–9:30 am, Greenhouses

(Beginners class: ages 6–8; Advanced class: ages 9–11) Exclusively for Members! Registration deadline May 30 Children of Member families are introduced to vegetable gardening in this 8-week course. Kids plan, cultivate, care for, and harvest their own plots as well as form a community garden with staff horticulturists. Children must be accompanied by an adult. All garden tools and seeds will be provided.

Members only; free. To register call 302.888.4779.

Enchanted Summer Day
June 19, 11:00 am–3:00 pm

Celebrate the beginning of summer with your family in Enchanted Woods with crafts,music, games, and more. Enjoy playing in the new Upside-Down Tree!

Rain-or-shine event. No reservations necessary. Included with all admission tickets, Members free.

Second Saturdays Garden Walk:
Chimney Swifts and Wineberries
July 10 8:00 pm, Visitor Center

Learn fascinating, little-known details about the estate with our horticultural staff.

Bring your flashlight, dress for the weather and wear walking shoes. In case of inclement weather, call 302.888.4915 after 10:00 am. Walks last approximately 90 minutes. Members free. No reservations necessary. Included with all admission tickets.

Second Saturdays Garden Walk:
Sunset From the Train Station
August 14 7:00 pm, Visitor Center

Learn fascinating, little-known details about the estate with our horticultural staff.

Bring your flashlight and prepare for a long walk. Dress for the weather and wear walking shoes. In case of inclement weather, call 302.888.4915 after 10:00 am. Walks last approximately 90 minutes. Members free. No reservations necessary. Included with all admission tickets.

Second Saturdays Garden Walk:
Garden Structures and Water Features
September 11 1:00 pm, Visitor Center

Learn fascinating, little-known details about the estate with our horticultural staff.

Dress for the weather and wear walking shoes. In case of inclement weather, call 302.888.4915 after 10:00 am. Walks last approximately 90 minutes. Members free. No reservations necessary. Included with all admission tickets.

Second Saturdays Garden Walk:
Fall Flowers and Fruits
October 9, 1:00 pm, Visitor Center

Learn fascinating, little-known details about the estate with our horticultural staff.

Dress for the weather and wear walking shoes. In case of inclement weather, call 302.888.4915 after 10:00 am. Walks last approximately 90 minutes. Members free. No reservations necessary. Included with all admission tickets.

Second Saturdays Garden Walk:
Late Fall Color in the Garden
November 13 1:00 pm, Visitor Center

Learn fascinating, little-known details about the estate with our horticultural staff.

Dress for the weather and wear walking shoes. In case of inclement weather, call 302.888.4915 after 10:00 am. Walks last approximately 90 minutes. Members free. No reservations necessary. Included with all admission tickets.

Second Saturdays Garden Walk:
Conifers and the Winter Garden
December 11 1:00 pm, Visitor Center

Learn fascinating, little-known details about the estate with our horticultural staff.

Dress for the weather and wear walking shoes. In case of inclement weather, call 302.888.4915 after 10:00 am. Walks last approximately 90 minutes. Members free. No reservations necessary. Included with all admission tickets.