Maggie Lidz, our estate historian, shares notes from Mr. du Pont and other family members’ letters about gardening in August. Are you keeping good notes on your garden’s progress?
H.F. du Pont and his family were rarely at Winterthur in August but as you can see from the excerpts of letters below, the family has long appreciated the lush shade and fertile fields of Winterthur. The photos are of Winterthur in the 1970s by George Fistrovich
1874, Louisa Gerhard du Pont to Sophie du Pont: We all went up to Winterthur today to see it and to show Pauline the spring and ferns and all the lovely wood paths around the house. She seems delighted with it… Quoted in Wilkinson, EI du Pont Botaniste, p. 101.
Aug 4 1902 Pauline du Pont to her sister Anna Robinson: The country is beautiful and the garden very good, with peas, lima beans, corn, egg-plant, and tomatoes. The peaches are delicious this year, also our early figs.
August 12, 1845 Evelina du Pont Bidermann to her son: I get through this warm summer tolerably well thanks to our little bath house which is so prettily situated that I often linger on the door to view the quiet spot by the running streamlet meandering through the willows and wild plants.
August 16 1893: There was no rain here Saturday night and everything is baking and burned. The outlook for the farmer is very serious.
August 17 1892 HA du Pont to his wife Pauline: The weather is cool and pleasant….I spoke to Eugene the gardnere about the pears as you requested.
August 19 1891, HA du Pont to his wife Pauline: We had only a few showers here yesterday morning ceased around noon. The thunder storm of last week was more serious—a tree in the lawn above the periwinkle bank having by struck by the lightning which also injured temporarily our telephone lines and the one at the railroad office at Montchanin.
Aug. 20, 1926, HA du Pont to Prof. Sargent: The country here has been green and beautiful and the vegetation luxurious. My evergreens have made a splendid growth; in fact some of them can now be fairly designated as young trees.
Aug. 21, 1933, HF du Pont to his sister Louise: Everything is lovely and green down here, as there has been so much rain.
