Winterthur

     I first visited Winterthur, Henry Francis du Pont's former home, in December 2014.  I went to see an exhibition of the costumes worn in the Downton Abbey television series.  I also toured the house which was decorated for the Christmas season.
     This past week, I returned to visit the gardens.  If you have been to Longwood Gardens, the legacy of Henry Francis du Pont's cousin, Pierre S. du Pont, be prepared for something entirely different.  Winterthur is a naturalistic or wild garden.  Most of the 62 acres appear to have developed naturally, but they were carefully planned and cultivated.  We didn't see everything, and that's fine with me.  We have a reason to go back.

We went to see the peonies in bloom.

Late Blooming Azaleas.
Most of the azaleas at Winterthur were propagated from cuttings from seventeen Kurume azalea plants that Mr. du Pont acquired after the 1915 World's fair.  The Kurume azalea was introduced to the United States at the fair. 

It wouldn't be a garden without a koi pond.  These guys came to the surface and begged as soon as we stood on the edge.

This is the Quarry Garden.  Mr. du Pont planted species that like wet ground in this abandoned stone quarry.

The Story Garden reminds me of Stonehenge.  

Shakespeare had a quote for everything.

This cottage sits in the Enchanted Garden.  The neighboring area called Oak Hill is where the faeries live.  Legend has it that the faerie folk built the Enchanted Garden out of  scrap they collected from the estate.

It's fun to look for odd pieces of this and that built into the walls. 

I think could live in this hollow tree if it just had a bit more ceiling height.

So delightful.

A sign warns that one must never enter a this circle of mushrooms, the Forbidden Faerie Ring.  Punishment for ignoring the warning is getting sprayed with water.  Each mushroom is equipped with a spray nozzle at the base.  Unfortunately, someone forgot to turn on the system the day we visited.

Big eggs in a big bird's nest.