 Sunday was the Vernal Equinox The March equinox signals the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere - earliest spring since 1896 - It marks the moment when the sun crosses the celestial equator going from south to north. Don't despair just because it snowed; we are truly on our way to Spring. Like most gardeners, I can't wait to get my hands in the dirt While I've been biding my time, I've been taking advantage of some of the great resources available to gardeners in our area. The Delaware Center for Horticulture  The Delaware Center for Horticulture (The DCH) is a non-profit community resource organization dedicated to promoting knowledge and appreciation of gardening, horticulture, and conservation. Their work includes creating community gardens, beautifying public landscaping, planting trees, and hosting educational programs and community events. I've been attending their Winter Lecture series First up, "Design Your Kitchen Garden - The Art of Growing Food" by Ellen Ecker Ogden We learned new ways to design and plant a kitchen garden for productivity, low maintenance and pleasure. Pick up a copy of her book, if you want to join the fun.  Next up, "The Art of Gardening at Chanticleer" by R. William Thomas  Chanticleer has been called the most romantic, imaginative, and exciting public garden in America. We enjoyed an enchanting evening exploring the creative process behind the magic. Want to learn more? Pick up a copy of Bill's new book.  In addition to their community programs, the DCH holds The Rare Plant Auction annually at Longwood Gardens.  Save the date and celebrate the 36th Annual Rare Plant Auction® held on Saturday, April 30th, 2016 at Longwood Gardens, with special guests Bunny Williams and celebrated plant expert, Page Dickey.
 The Master Gardener programs provide intensive horticultural training to individuals who then volunteer as Master Gardeners in their communities by giving lectures, creating gardens, conducting research, and many other projects. They offer some of the best regionally specific advice you can get on home gardening. Delaware offers their program through the University of Delaware MasterGardeners This is an invaluable service to all of us and a great opportunity for those with a desire to expand and share their horticultural knowledge.  I had the pleasure of attending a lecture by Dr. Anne Boyde, Master Gardener, last Saturday on "Art in the Garden". Full of great advice and wonderful examples, it certainly had us all looking at our gardens with new eyes. Time to rethink the garden gnomes. This region has been called the Garden Capital of America |
