Adventures in the Polly Mobile 2: University of Delaware and Driving to Washington, D.C.

It was sad to say good bye to Barb and the wonderful gardens of Delaware, but I had to keep moving on. I was on my way to Washington, D.C.

Herbaceous Garden at University of Delaware Botanic Gardens.

But before my epic leg down the Delmarva Peninsula, I made arrangements with my dear friend Jason Veil to visit the University of Delaware Botanic Garden and to talk about the curatorial assistantship program there.

How Jason and I met is just another testament to how serendipitous horticulture really is. We met by chance as we rode the final bus back to the parking lot after the Woody Plant Conference at Swarthmore College this summer. I think we were talking about the Longwood Graduate Program when he put the bug in my ear about UDel's plant curation program. Little did I know that chance meeting would lead me back around to the university.

So, fast forward to this morning. I got a few extra minutes of sleep, thankfully, and had enough time to say my last goodbyes to the Stremples. I drove down to the garden, checking in with Jason to make sure we were both still undeterred by the cool, grey drizzle. Nothing keeps plant people out of the garden. Jason met me in the parking lot outside of the botanic garden's office with a parking pass, reminding me of the joys nightmares of university parking. After a brief stop in the office, we headed over to see Dr. Frett before he left for the day.

Next was the tour of the garden. It surrounds the agriculture buildings and abuts the dairy, displaying a menagerie of old landscape favorites from the 70s and 80s. There were some impressive specimens, including a maturing Acer griseum, as well as a few who needed some TLC. Overall, there was an interesting story about the fairly recent history of the grounds and how the collections were rooted in teaching plant ID classes. Throughout Jason's fantastic tour, he answered all of my probing questions, and dealt out a couple of jabs at my anti-invasive species comments. There were also some new additions to the gardens, including an impressive removal of some huge hollies and exciting new plantings going in, per Jason's vision as curator. It reminded me a lot of the J.C. Raulston and I can only imagine what the space will look like as it matures. Planting new plants really is an incredible way to show vision.

I highly recommend getting out to see the garden. Although it may be intimidating being on a college campus, it exists as a teaching tool to all, students and members of the community, local and otherwise! Check out the garden's website to find out about parking and upcoming programs, including their plant sale!

So, after my wonderful tour with Jason (and getting some yummy ice cream made at UDel's creamery), I was off down 301, the interstate that snakes down the Delmarva Peninsula, crosses the Maryland state line and the Chesapeake Bay, makes its way to Anapolis and then Washington, D.C. It was a slow, grey afternoon, but it was an easy, incredibly flat, drive. Very little traffic allowed me to look out at the many farms and new developments coming up (which saddened me because of what is to come after that, as I've seen with the land around Charlotte as I've grown up). The bridge to cross the Chesapeake was amazing, so much longer than I thought it would be, and it was a great place to catch the sunset.

And then the traffic began. But, I was okay with it because the highways were now the organized ones of the south (whoo, crossing the Mason-Dixon line!).

My final thought will be to the people of the southern states: be thankful for your roads and how they are organized. Appreciate the many road signs you have. There are those who do not have them, who live in a place where right lanes just end.

Okay, and my post- post-final thought will be check out these awesome musical people: ilyAIMy.

Adventures in the Polly Mobile 2: Mt. Cuba Center and Longwood Gardens

Woods Path, Mt. Cuba Center

The morning was frigid. Armed with ski gloves, I followed Barb to work, winding down the narrow roads of the Brandywine Valley. We came to the elaborate gate of Mt. Cuba Center, previously the Copeland's Estate and quickly climbed the hill of the approach to the house. A quick glance out the right side revealed a vista across the rolling hills in the Valley and to the left a rock garden in the retaining wall! We parked our cars and Barb led me through a tunnel of Rhododendrons and leaning Oxydendrum arboretum. She said she loved parking there because in the spring the Trillium are beautiful. Sadly, the morning was a cold grey and the Rhododendrons' leaves were looking forlorn in the biting cold.

Barb led me across the sweeping brick front of the du Pont-Copeland's beautiful home and went in the front door! Immediately the wealth of the previous inhabitants was evident: elegant wallpaper, hand-carved staircase and crown moulding, rich carpets and beautiful furniture. Every detail was closely tended to. I was reminded briefly of walking into the Biltmore Estate. After meeting several people, Barb led me into the basement where the plant records department was and then took me for a tour of the three story house. I think my jaw was on the floor the entire time. Just wow. And everyone was so welcoming too.

Yet again, once the house tour was done, we decided to head outside to see the gardens. The winter time is not the best time to see a garden at its best, but that doesn't mean a garden shouldn't be seen. Barb decided to check some areas while we were out there, so we bundled up and headed out. We walked through the formal garden and Barb told me about the upcoming renovations, then through the Trial Garden. If you don't see anything else (well, except the Trilliums), the Trial Gardens are worth the trip. Mt. Cuba Center is on the cutting edge of trialing natives and they have an impressive garden to do it in.

The cold slowed us down and we tried to keep moving, but I couldn't help but stop and look closer. Barb led me down the west slope path to the ponds, where we met one of the area gardeners, who stopped to talk with us a bit. We continued on and came to the area that Barb needed to check. Flags were spread throughout the area, and if you looked even closer, so were metal tags. Almost invisible reminders there were plants dormant there. I took the moment to look around me and take in the cathedral-like atmosphere of the Liriodendron tulipifera towering above the lake, and tried to imagine what the garden would look like in the spring, summer, fall when all of the plants would be active, growing in a great chorus in this great church.

The cold got the best of both of us and we made our way back up to the house; around the ponds, through the meadow, the dogwood path and trillium garden, and then up the woods path. I was most impressed even just seeing the bones of the garden and I can't wait to see the gardens in the full glory of spring.

We took a moment to warm ourselves and then we were out again, this time in a golf cart for a tour of the farther-flung areas of the gardens. Barb took me by several areas, until we ended up at the greenhouse facilities. One of the wonderful ladies there gave us both a tour of the facilities and we both learned a lot. There were the challenges of having to both use and maintain aging facilities, but the facilities themselves were interesting for their historical value. You could easily imagine what the cold storage rooms looked like full of bulbs for forcing and what the benches would look like with plants, immaculately manicured and full of flowers, ready to go up to the house. Facilities for the sake of surrounding yourself with beauty and perfection. What an incredible idea.

~~~

After such a wonderful tour and stimulating discussion over lunch afterwards, I was sad to leave the ladies at Mt. Cuba, but I was off for a tour of the curious boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) collection with the boxwood curator at Longwood Gardens. I eventually made it to the production area of Longwood after getting terribly lost. Again. Barrett was so nice though and was very patient with how late I was.

Once I was there I asked him tons of questions and we eventually made it out to the plots. Much like the Hort Field Lab at N.C. State, the production area was like an in-ground nursery, and the Buxus I'd come to see were planted out in rows, Round-up circles around them and metal tags identifying where they'd come from. Come to find out the Buxus sempervirens out there were cuttings taken from wild plants with desirable traits from countries around the Black Sea, from Albania to Azerbaijan (check out this map to see them!). There were dwarf forms, variegation of every kind (viral, chimeric or otherwise), dark green, light green, open forms, tight forms. A good sampling of the genetic diversity of the species. It was hard to tell they were all the same species sometimes.

So, why does Longwood have these specimens? There are many reasons, and historical value and breeding are the main ones. Longwood Gardens has released many cultivars into the horticultural trade, two of which are boxwoods: 'Longwood' and 'Belleville'. There may be more breeding in the future, so keep your eyes peeled for new releases and between now and then you can see them at the gardens.

 

Okay, okay. So boxwoods may not necessarily be the most stimulating topic, but Barrett had also planned for us to check out the Christmas display. It was obvious in the extravagant trees and decorations in the Conservatories there was every attention to detail, and stunning lights displayed in the giant trees outside were captivating even to adults. There was something new to see at each glance. The stroll through the Conservatories that evening will always stay with me.

Handmade steampunk Cardinal looking proud. The theme of the Christmas was birds.

Adventures in the Polly Mobile 2: Morning at the Botanic Garden at Smith College (before driving to Delaware!)

That's right, folks: Western Massachusetts to Delaware.

Into the belly of the beast....or at least the pitcher of a Nepenthes truncata.

(Click above for photos)

But since I'd only been able to walk by all of the botanical treasures at the Lyman Conservatory at Smith College yesterday, I made sure I was up, packed and out the door early the next morning so I could be there when they opened the doors. I think I surprised the visitor center volunteer when I came in so early, as I'm sure a visit to the conservatory isn't most people's idea of the first thing to do on a dreary Saturday morning.

A view into "the Jungle Room" at Smith College.

I made myself at home though, hanging up my coats in the hallway, and immediately delved into the collections, taking my time to savor each detail of each plant. I read tag upon tag, quizzed myself and took hundreds of pictures. It was a great moment of reflection to think back on what I'd seen at other conservatories I'd visited before. I knew I needed to be on the road, but there was so much to see. Each room seemed to hold a thousand more treasures.

But, I knew I was pushing into my long drive to Wilmington, DE, and I eventually had to tear myself away from the succulent house.

In an effort to avoid New York, New Jersey and I-95, in general, I charted my own path down 84, through the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, and some beautiful mountain areas. Sadly, I could only imagine what beautiful scenery I was passing through, as the low clouds hid most of it.

The weather had not improved during my warm explorations inside. There was a steady drizzle and the shade of the cold, grey of the morning had been passed on to the afternoon. The frustrating roads of Massachusetts gave way to the slightly more sane ones of Connecticut, though I have to say I knew I was in Yankee-land driving through the scary narrow ways of Hartford. Once I was out of the city though, the traffic disappeared and landscape opened up and became more mountainous. I almost forgot I was in Connecticut and I wished so badly to be able to see through the thick blankets of clouds. I could tell there were more hills and mountains, especially in New York and Pennsylvania (which PM2 made me painfully aware of), and the flora shifted, sometimes more natives and sometimes more invasives.

By the time I got past Bethlehem though, it started getting dark. The traffic dramatically picked up and I found myself surrounded by urban sprawl. I quickly found myself eager to be in Delaware. And then my GPS died an hour or so later....eagerness turned to panic.

But, I made it, almost eight hours after leaving Smith College, and Barb and Phil were waiting to welcome me to their home. Whew, what a day!