The white arrow tour that winds visitors through the garden in the spring has a summer twist to it. The directional arrows have changed to a seasonal yellow color and now lead visitors through the wider estate to experience the dynamic habitat of our meadows.
Yellow Arrow in the Field
The meadows at Winterthur are part of the rolling landscape of the Piedmont and many of the unimpeded views alone make the walk worth the trip. There also lies a lot of beauty and activity within. Tall tawny-colored grasses are accented with different wildflowers of the season.
Wildflowers in Meadow
Wildflowers in Meadow
Wildflowers in Meadow
Swallows and purple martins show off their adept flying skills in their constant search for insects. Damselflies and dragon flies hover just above the height of the fields and of course, there are butterflies. From a distance, the landscape is breathtaking but when immersed in it, the flurry of activity is magical.
I asked Rachel Sadowski, one of our Natural Lands Interns for a synopsis of the trails and she wrote and the following:
There are two loops:
- The big loop starts at the front pond near the Visitors Center, goes past Chandler Woods over to Browns Meadow then down Sycamore Hill and finishes at the Quarry.
- There is also an option for a smaller loop that starts on Garden Lane at Browns Meadow—near Magnolia Bend and goes through the meadow, over to Sycamore Hill and around to the Quarry.
The big loop also goes directly past the trailheads for Chandler Woods and Browns Woods, while the small loop goes past just Browns Woods, for optional walking additions.
Venture in part of the estate that you may not have before. Bring along your favorite flower/bird/insect guide book (or a smart phone) and do a little nature exploration and if you don’t know the difference between a damsel and dragon fly, now is your chance to find out!
I’ll Take a Stab at it; Horace’s Duskywing Butterfly?