Photos courtesy of Delaware Botanic Gardens
Missed the beauty of the Delaware Botanic Gardens? The beloved destination is open once more, with a few new updates to boot.
Warmer temperatures and pops of color on the area’s trees mean it’s time to get back outdoors and enjoy the Delaware Botanic Gardens at Pepper Creek near Dagsboro.
The gardens officially opened for the season at 9 a.m. on Thursday, March 17, says Delaware Botanic Gardens president Ray Sander.
The gardens, which first opened to the public in 2019, will be open Thursdays through Sundays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 30220 Piney Neck Road, Dagsboro. Guided tours are also available.
At the opening ceremony March 17, the Bethany Beach-Fenwick Island Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon cutting in the new 800-square-foot Restroom Building.
The new cedar building was designed by award-winning architect Scott Edmonston and his team with SEA Studio. The visually pleasing building also has green features, including a living wall of plants sustained by rainwater. Along the deck of the building is a rain garden featuring native plants that clean the rainwater as it drains into the woods.
New this year are 84,000 spring bulbs planted in the 2-acre Piet Oudolf Meadow Garden. Volunteers and staff have also worked to add a reflecting pool and an additional 37,500 bulbs to the Folly Garden.
“Our staff and volunteers have been working all winter creating new features for guests to enjoy,” says Sander.
“We are so proud of this unique ‘green’ building located in the West Woodland Garden,” says Sheryl Swed, Delaware Botanic Gardens’ executive director. “Thanks to WN Builders and SEA Studio Architects, and also Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control for sponsoring the green restroom building features.”
The Delaware Botanic Gardens were created to provide a world-class educational and sustainable botanic garden in southern Delaware. The project was launched in 2012 with a group that dreamed of providing a public garden in Sussex County.
The crown jewel of the venue is the Meadow Garden, designed by Piet Oudolf, creator of the High Line Garden in New York City and the Lurie Garden in Chicago.
General admission is $15 for people age 16 and up. Tickets for guided tours are $10 for those age 16 and over. Admission is free for kids 15 and under. Credit card sales are accepted on the website.
To learn more and plan your visit to the botanic gardens, go to delawaregardens.org.
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