Maggie Lidz, estate historian, shares a photograph along with excerpts from du Pont family correspondence about the Winterthur Garden.
March is one of the most exciting gardening months in Delaware. Spring can emerge slowly or with amazing speed. See these descriptions of March over Henry Francis du Pont’s lifetime
During his long lifetime (1880-1969) du Pont would note the first flowers of the season to his friends in letters and in the garden diaries he kept.
Autochrome, Winterthur Archives.
Adonis Amurensis blooming on the March Bank at Winterthur March 10, 1913
March 1, 1920, Garden Diary: Two snowdrops, woods to Bend and Rhodendron [bed] near house.
March 1, 1944 to his friend Elfrida Clarke: I found my first aconite in bloom yesterday. The snowdrops have been in bloom, also the Adonis, and my Hanamelis Molis is out of bloom.
March 2 1940 to his friend Marian Coffin: Though cold and damp here, there are any amount of snowdrops in bloom, and the Hamamelis Mollis is at the height of its glory.
March 5, 1909, Garden Diary: Leucojum carpathicum just beginning to bloom—prolong[s] period of white bloom after snowdrops are gone.
March 10, 1945, to his friend Arthur Campbell: We had snow on the ground from January to a week ago, which was proceeded by a rain storm that froze and did considerable amount of damage to the tops of the trees and branches. However, it was a beautiful sight and I have never seen ice last so long without melting. I am happy to say that our snowdrop bank now is quite lovely and there are a good many other Spring flowers that are beginning to bloom.
March 15, 1945, to Marian Coffin: I wish you could see the snowdrop walk. It is really beautiful, literally thousands of snowdrops in bloom. The Adonis Leucojum and Aconite are also making a very fine showing.
March 16, 1895: H.F.’s mother Pauline du Pont to HF: When I reached home it seemed almost like spring, and the grass a little green here and there. As soon as I came in the house and saw that everything was right I went at once to the garden. On the way I saw two snowdrops and scillas.
March 23, 1968, To his friend, Martha Lyon Slater : I got back on the 16th to see the first spring flowers and it has been so cool that the first snow drop which has been in bloom at least a month, are holding their own, but the first hot day will finish them.
March 24 1919, To his friend, Charles Sargent: My March bulbs are going out of bloom and the early Narcissi have a good many blooms out already.
March 24, 1943, to Marian Coffin: I haven’t minded being North at all, and am really enjoying the March garden. Last week our Forsythia ovata was in full bloom, two weeks ahead of the others.
March 24, 1953, to Marian Coffin: I am frantic not to be leaving here [Boca Grande] until the 2nd as Joe Downs wrote me last week the March Bank was a mass of blooms and a good many daffodils and some azaleas Dahuricum are already out.
March 28, 1944, HF to his sister Louise Crowninshield: “When are you arriving? Do come soon, the country is lovely and my Spring Bank is really enchanting.”
March 29, 1948, to his friends Col. and Mrs. Robt. Montgomery, founder of Fairchild Tropical Garden: My March garden is in bloom but it is still very early in the season and feels it.
