Delaware’s Gorgeous Goodstay Gardens Will Soon Bring Beautiful Blooms To Wilmington
The Brandywine Valley is famous worldwide for its stunning planned gardens. Estates like Nemours, Winterthur, and the Mt. Cuba center have spent decades fine-tuning their famous grounds, and each one is a wonder to behold. When you think you’ve seen all that the valley has to offer in terns of gardens, though, you should double check that you haven’t missed a hidden gem tucked far off the beaten path – Wilmington’s Goodstay Gardens.
Some of Delaware's most beautiful gardens won't be found in an elaborate DuPont Estate, and you don't have to fight through crowds and pay expensive admission fees to admire them. The beautiful Goodstay Gardens are open year-round, and are free for the public to explore.
It can be a little tricky to find the Goodstay Gardens. They'e located on the University of Delaware's Wilmington Campus, between the Osher Center for Lifelong Learning and the gorgeous Goodstay Center Mansion.
Goodstay was originally known as Green Hill, and dates back to the mid 17th century. At times, it was owned by Andrew Lynam, Howard Pyle, and Dr. Allan McLane.
Of course, no garden in Delaware is free from at least a little DuPont influence. In 1868, Margaretta du Pont (Pierre S. and Alfred I.'s grandmother) moved in, and renamed Green Hill to Goodstay. Today, the gardens are maintained by the non-profit group Friends of the Goodstay Gardens.
The most significant and well-known part of the garden, the Magnolia Walk, blooms in the early days of spring, welcoming a season of color.
Of course, no early spring garden is complete without some tulips and daffodils! Spend some time at Goodstay Gardens in the spring and you'll see something new in bloom nearly every week.
Kim Magaraci graduated Rutgers University with a degree in Geography and has spent the last seven years as a freelance travel writer. Contact: kmagaraci@onlyinyourstate.com
