Hay rides, walk-and-talk tours, lectures, and more in our gardens

We have released our 2018-2019 Fall and Winter program guide, opening registration to a selection of new and popular tours, events and classes about gardening, conservation, art and wellness set to take place in our lush and colorful gardens.

Browse the program guide here: https://joom.ag/NmHY

The fall months are an ideal time to plant trees and perennials as the cooling temperatures keep young plants safe from heat stress. On September 29th and 30th, the Fall Gardening Festival delivers gardening know-how and an opportunity to purchase native plants in a festival-like atmosphere. A variety of food selections and fall-themed activities make this an event for the whole family to enjoy. All Fall Gardening Festival activities are included with the price of admission (Free for Season Passholders, $10 for adults, $5 children ages 6-17, and free for children 5 and under).

Mt. Cuba Center’s gardening classes offer hands-on instruction. Container Gardening ($45, 9/13) and Must-Have Native Shrubs for Fall Color ($30, 10/31) will improve any home landscape, while Weeds 101 ($38, 10/10) and Big Trees of Delaware ($45, 10/18) will hone plant identification skills. Bring new plants to the garden with Propagating Native Ferns Workshop ($45, 9/15) and Seed Collecting and Saving Workshop ($35, 10/12).

New this season is a series of walking tours with director-level staff of the garden. In this five part walk-and-talk series, Mt. Cuba Center’s experts discuss land acquisition, master planning, collections development, hydrology, and the importance of nature in personal health. The Fall Walks and Hikes series begins on 9/27 ($12 each, or $54 for the whole series).

Guests can ride through the scenic landscape that inspired the Brandywine Valley’s renown painter Andrew Wyeth in a hay wagon to get a unique perspective on land conservation and restoration. At Sunset and S’mores ($15, 9/29, 10/6, 10/13) a scenic hayride ends at a family-friendly bonfire featuring s’mores and other snacks and Hay Bales and Brews ($25, 9/29, 10/6, 10/13) is ideal for date night.

Mt. Cuba Center’s Ecological Gardening Certificate program features robust course offerings on all aspects of ecological gardening, from plant identification (Native Plants of Fall, $190), to landscape design (Ecological Landscape Design, $270), to soil microbiology (Enhancing Life in the Soil, $250). Upon completion of the program, students will be able to identify and cultivate native plants in the landscape, apply organic gardening practices to create resilient environments, design ecologically sound gardens, and manage plant health issues using sustainable techniques.

Find these programs and more at mtcubacenter.org/classes/