Visiting botanical gardens is one of my favorite ways to relax and get away from it all. Yes, it is still related to what I do for a living, so is it really getting away? I find that the answer is still "yes" to that question as my favorite bumper sticker says "Plants are the Answer".
A must-see garden every year for me is the Mt. Cuba Center. I love Mt. Cuba because in addition to having a beautiful display garden, they focus much of their attention on native plants. They are always in the process of a trial garden or two, focusing on a specific native genus. Their conclusions at the end of the trials give you a more scientific basis for evaluating the hundreds of new cultivars that seem to come out every year. Different is fine, but a truly useful new plant is hardy and disease-resistant. The trials at Mt. Cuba can help you evaluate all this.
Photo credit: Mt. Cuba Center
In addition, they have put some science behind the question of whether cultivars of native plants are as good as the parents. I've read enough of everyone's anecdotal opinions on whether or not the bees visit a certain cultivar...give me some science! Mt. Cuba trials are a start as they have begun counting pollinator visits to the individual cultivars.
I encourage you to visit their website to learn more about their center and trial gardens. The carex trial has just finished, and you can see past trials of echinacea, monarda, hydrangea and more.
Don't forget to visit in-person to relax and take in the beauty of the gardens!
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