By Collin Hadsell.
Imagine you’re a bird. The soft winds of May hold you aloft. It’s a warm day, and you find yourself flying over a vibrant and lush woodland, shaded by a canopy of new leaves. Nearby is a garden, where azaleas bloom in technicolor—mauve, scarlet, satin pink, peach—and bluebells dot the understory. Pollinators flit from flower to flower, tree to tree. There is life and sound everywhere.
As you soar, sounds arise from the west. You investigate. The usually peaceful stream that ambles along is alive with activity. Your eyes widen at the sight of nature and human celebration colliding in a way that is quietly ignorant of the other but somehow still symbiotic. There is a relationship between these two things: the land and this event. A kinship that goes unspoken or unthought about. Without one of these things, the other might not exist.
Every year in early May, Winterthur holds Point-to-Point, an exciting steeplechase race that draws crowds from all over the country. Our small, beautiful corner of Delaware buzzes with the excitement of tailgaters, the engines of Rolls-Royce automobiles, and the galloping of horses racing toward the finish line. There is food, fun, and an air of celebration that permeates the rolling hills, neighboring woodlands, and wandering waterways that make up the Point-to-Point area of the estate. This is the event of the season.
Amid this excitement, it’s easy for us (and the birds overhead) to overlook the sweeping landscape that sets the stage for the day. But looking so good takes effort!
Point-to-Point is made possible, in part, by teams of trained horticulturists, arborists, and natural lands technicians who meticulously and painstakingly care for the landscape all year long. Countless hours go into to keeping the lawns looking pristine, the miles of fences in tip-top shape, and the neighboring areas well looked after. In turn, Point-to-Point is a wildly successful fundraiser that contributes to the stewardship of the monumental feat of design and care that is Winterthur. Those who attend this event and others here provide immeasurable support, helping us pay for equipment and plants and staff. Ultimately our guests help us achieve a broader goal: the preservation and continuation of the natural setting for this historic estate. All while planting a future for everyone . . . including the birds.
Join us on Sunday, May 7 for the 45th Annual Point-to-Point!
Proceeds from Point-to-Point support environmental and land stewardship initiatives to care for, preserve, and protect the Winterthur garden and the woodlands, meadows, and wetland habitats that surround it—nearly 1,000 acres of conserved land. We are grateful to our visitors and event supporters and encourage you to come back and explore this beautiful Brandywine Valley preserve.
Thank you to our sponsors: Draper & Kramer Mortgage Corp., Bluecoast Seafood Grill & Raw Bar, Woodford Reserve, Constellation, Don Julio, Home Appétit, and King.