| |
 IntroHistoryDirectionsWinterthur web site
The Galleries & Gardens pass gives access to the gardens, including a narrated tram tour, and the Galleries, Winterthur’s museum-type space. Several guided tours are also available. Focus Tours have seasonal themes devoted to special areas of interest like ceramics or furniture. The Conservation Tour takes a look behind the scenes in Winterthur’s laboratories. All of the tours give an education about life in early American, and showcase one-of-a-kind antiques. You may select Elegant Entertaining, Private Spaces & Gaming Places, Gracious Living, Distinctive Collections. Stylish Suites, or Once Upon a Family. Seasonal tours are also offered.etimes entire buildings to serve as backdrops.
The Gardens
The Winterthur garden is blessed with many natural advantages. Rolling hills, flowing streams, and lush native greenery present a visually appealing, parklike landscape. In this once-private setting, Henry Francis du Pont created unity between the collection of American arts inside and a floral kaleidoscope outside.
As children, du Pont and his sister, Louise, were immersed in gardening. Their mother, Pauline, taught them the practical aspects, while their father, Henry Algernon, made sure they knew the Latin names of plants and trees. H. F. du Pont went on to study horticulture and practical agriculture at Harvard’s Bussey Institution. At the same time, family friend Marian Cruger Coffin was in training in landscape architecture at MIT. Coffin and du Pont later collaborated on many of Winterthur's outdoor spaces.
Du Pont applied a naturalistic philosophy to the garden, an approach that might be described as going nature one better. Plantings were arranged in layers like a natural understory and canopy. Curved paths snaked through the gardens, offering fresh viewpoints with every turn. Exotic plants joined familiar native ones, all carefully selected and placed.
Winterthur’s founder was keenly interested in color. He kept copious notes about tints and shades, as well as blooming times and care requirements. Just as he massed similar objects in the mansion, he assembled huge amounts of color in the garden. Du Pont often placed plants with highly contrasting colors near each other, a counterpoint that made each color seem more intense.
One of du Pont’s goals was to have a succession of blooming plants for as long as possible. To that end, he planted the March Bank with thousands of bulbs, which over time have propagated into millions. Flowers begin to appear in late January. As the year wears on, different areas of the garden burst into bloom, giving an almost year-round display of color.
A recent addition to the garden is the Enchanted Woods, a three-acre themed area kids love to explore.
As children, du Pont and his sister, Louise, were immersed in gardening. Their mother, Pauline, taught them the practical aspects, while their father, Henry Algernon, made sure they knew the Latin names of plants and trees. H. F. du Pont went on to study horticulture and practical agriculture at Harvard’s Bussey Institution. At the same time, family friend Marian Cruger Coffin was in training in landscape architecture at MIT. Coffin and du Pont later collaborated on many of Wintethur's outdoor spaces.
Du Pont applied a naturalistic philosophy to the garden, an approach that might be described as going nature one better. Plantings were arranged in layers like a natural understory and canopy. Curved paths snaked through the gardens, offering fresh viewpoints with every turn. Exotic plants joined familiar native ones, all carefully selected and placed.
Winterthur’s founder was keenly interested in color. He kept copious notes about tints and shades, as well as blooming times and care requirements. Just as he massed similar objects in the mansion, he assembled huge amounts of color in the garden. du Pont often placed plants with highly contrasting colors near each other, a counterpoint that made each color seem more intense.
One of du Pont’s goals was to have a succession of blooming plants for as long as possible. To that end, he planted the March Bank with thousands of bulbs, which over time have propagated into millions. Flowers begin to appear in late January. As the year wears on, different areas of the garden burst into bloom, giving an almost year-round display of color.
A recent addition to the gardens is the Enchanted Woods, a three-acre themed area kids love to explore.
Return to top of page |
