Delaware Botanic Gardens to open for member preview
Delaware Botanic Gardens announced a two-week opening preview for member and incentive award volunteers from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursday to Sunday, July 16 to 19, and July 23 to 26. Timed reservations are required.
President Ray Sander said, “We welcome our members and incentive volunteers to thank them for their dedicated support and generosity.”
The gardens have been closed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sander said, “Depending on the Delaware and Sussex County public health conditions, we hope to open to the public by the end of July. We are carefully following all CDC, state and Sussex County health guidelines. We will make another announcement when we are able to welcome the public. If you would like to become a member and enjoy the gardens in July, we invite you to go to our website, www.delawaregardens.org/membership.”
Executive Director Sheryl Swed said, “The health and safety of our volunteers, staff, members and guests are DBG’s top priorities. All DBG visitors and our staff are required to wear a face mask, practice social distancing and wash hands at our sanitation station when entering and leaving our site. One-way directional pathways will be marked to ensure everyone’s safety. If a member/volunteer is sick or has been in contact with someone who has had COVID-19, we ask them to postpone their visit. We hope our loyal members and volunteers will enjoy the 37-acre site and the natural beauty of our gardens.”
“We are excited to welcome our members and incentive award volunteers back and highlight our newest garden, which was planted this spring-early summer by our staff and volunteers,” said Brian Trader, deputy executive director and director of horticulture. “The Rhyne Garden celebrates 12,000 native plants in the new one-acre site running down the middle of the entry garden parking area, providing a conveyance to capture excess stormwater runoff. The Rhyne is a representation of the tax ditches present throughout Delmarva that were built to carry water away from our sea level area wetlands to create agricultural land. DBG will develop educational programming to demonstrate the Rhyne’s best management practices and assess knowledge gained from its visitors about the benefits and value of using these techniques in residential, community and agricultural landscapes.”
The Rhyne Garden is one of DBG’s six featured gardens. The others are the two-acre Meadow Garden, with 70,000 perennial plants designed by world-famous Dutch plantsman Piet Oudolf; the Dogfish Head Learning Garden, with the wetland outdoor classroom and inland dunes; the Folly Garden, built on the ruins of a 20th century farmhouse; the 12-acre Woodland Gardens with winding trails; and the Knoll Garden, which is the highest point overlooking the 1,000 feet of shoreline at the tidal Pepper Creek.
The mission of the Delaware Botanic Gardens is to create a world-class, inspirational, educational and sustainable public garden in southern Delaware for the benefit and enjoyment of all.
To make a reservation, go to www.delawaregardens.org.
