By Richard Larkin, Horticulturist
Fall at Nemours Mansion & Gardens
After one of the earliest snows in East Coast history, the garden has already had a touch of winter. This is the first time that we have ever had a snowfall without a first freeze, and the change was a deadly shock to our annuals. With the abrupt change of season the chrysanthemums are now gone. They had been particularly beautiful this year, with their bright yellows, bronzes and light pinks spreading cheer across the fall landscape. We are also removing an abundance of fallen leaves.
This is the time of the year to plant bulbs for spring flowers, and we have put in more than 12,000 daffodil, crocus and squill bulbs for
naturalizing sweeps of color with the hope of moving up the opening date of the gardens.
After putting the gardens to bed for the winter, our next project will be to turn an existing lawn into a wildflower meadow. In order to achieve this we will need to “burn off” the lawn with herbicide and then overseed with wildflower and seasonal grass mixes that will reseed themselves. This area of at least four acres will not only add visual interest to the gardens but will also lower the need for mowing (less fuel, less labor) and help reduce runoff. It will also offer a good habitat for butterflies and other creatures and be a natural extension of the wooded area on the estate.
As we plan for the next growing season, we look forward to the winter dormancy, which always helps create a spectacular spring.
