Mt Cuba - Grid Magazine

Please be sure to check the event organizer’s website for any last-minute changes or cancellations prior to attending.

 

Have an event that will fit well on our calendar?

Submit it here!

Twilight on the Terrace

Mt Cuba 3120 Barley Mill Rd, Hockessin, DE, United States

Unwind from the week with a bite to eat while enjoying live music on the terrace and evening access to the gardens. Food, beer, and wine will be available for purchase. Lineup and details for the entire series can be found here. This program takes place in-person at Mt. Cuba Center Friday, August 15, 2025 (Rain Date: Following Friday). Music: Kid Davis & the Bullets (Rockabilly) Food: Albie’s Burgers & Bivouac Pizza GET TICKETS: General Public Individual+ & Dual+ Members Supporter, Advocate & Conservator Members  

$12 – $20

Gardening for Ecological Resilience Tour

Mt Cuba 3120 Barley Mill Rd, Hockessin, DE, United States

Take an in-depth look at the gardens, discover how to create sustainable landscapes with native plants, and learn effective techniques for gardening for ecological resilience. This 2-hour tour expands on concepts covered in the introductory Welcome Walk, exploring topics including systems thinking, climate change impacts, drought-resistant landscapes, and invasive species management. Learn Practical Solutions to Modern Challenges Gardening for Ecological Resilience emphasizes practical solutions to modern environmental challenges. Explore how native plants contribute to ecosystem stability, act as carbon sinks, provide food and shelter for wildlife, and enhance soil health. Discover Innovative Research and Techniques This tour also highlights Mt.

$7

The Pollinator Connection: How Your Garden Can Save Wildlife

Mt Cuba 3120 Barley Mill Rd, Hockessin, DE, United States

Protecting pollinators, and the essential ecological services they provide, requires an all-hands-on-deck approach. Be a part of the solution by contributing to pollinator conservation right in your own yard, neighborhood, town, or city through individual actions and collaborative efforts. Learn about pollinator diversity, Delaware native bees, how to make your local landscape pollinator-friendly by providing habitat, improving pesticide protection, engaging in community science, and educating others. This program takes place in-person at Mt. Cuba Center Wednesday, August 20, 2025. About the Instructor: Kelly Gill is a Senior Pollinator Conservation Specialist with the Xerces Society and a Partner Biologist with USDA-NRCS.

$49

Caterpillars 101

Mt Cuba 3120 Barley Mill Rd, Hockessin, DE, United States

Learn about the amazing adaptations of caterpillars from host specialization to defensive mechanisms. Discuss the critical role caterpillars play in food webs and how to promote them in your garden. Discover signs of caterpillar activity, tools to identify them, and explore outdoors to hone your search skills. This program takes place in-person at Mt. Cuba Center Thursday, August 21, 2025. About the Instructor: Ellen Lake, PhD, is the Director of Conservation and Research at Mt. Cuba Center. She taught environmental education and was the Education Director at the Brandywine and Red Clay Valley Associations. Ellen has a master’s degree in

$49

Golden Hour Gardening – Native Plant Container Design

Mt Cuba 3120 Barley Mill Rd, Hockessin, DE, United States

Kick back, grab a drink, and dig into creativity at our Thursday evening happy hour class! In this fun, hands-on session, you’ll learn how to design a beautiful container garden with three colorful selections of native plants, some soil and your imagination. Enjoy after-hours access to the gardens, a live demo, and everything you need to create your own take-home arrangement. Perfect for beginners, more experienced gardeners looking for a night out, and anyone who wants to practice conservation by addition throughout the seasons. Beer, wine, cocktails and snacks will be available for purchase throughout the evening. This program takes place

$55

Designing Resilient Landscapes

Mt Cuba 3120 Barley Mill Rd, Hockessin, DE, United States

Late summer is a great time to make observations and devise a plan for the fall to improve your garden. Explore ways to create diverse, attractive, and functional landscapes using basic principles of naturalistic gardening design. Learn how to work with your site to solve problems and maximize its use. Discover ways to design pathways that have purpose, beds that create interest and variety throughout the year considering sun, shade, wind patterns, microclimates, existing conditions, and other factors. This program takes place in-person at Mt. Cuba Center Friday, August 22, 2025. About the Instructor: Nancy Bell is the Education and

$49

Lawn-less Yards

Mt Cuba 3120 Barley Mill Rd, Hockessin, DE, United States

Reducing the American lawn is good for everyone. We can add more native plants, reduce flooding in our watershed, attract pollinators, and bring balance to our ecosystems. Dive into some examples projects where native plant solutions have replaced lawns. Class will focus on a variety of site conditions such as sunny slopes, low wet spots, and wooded areas. View before/during/after images and learn the plant lists that made them successful as inspiration to transform your lawn into less. This program takes place in-person at Mt. Cuba Center Saturday, August 23, 2025. About the Instructor: Lucy Dinsmore is a horticulturist and

$39

Hybrid Inviting Wildlife into the Garden

Mt Cuba 3120 Barley Mill Rd, Hockessin, DE, United States

Transform your landscape into a garden that attracts a wealth of wildlife and unlock the important connections between pollinators, plants, and habitats.

$259

Trial Garden Highlights: Vernonia (ironweed)

Mt Cuba 3120 Barley Mill Rd, Hockessin, DE, United States

The genus Vernonia, commonly known as ironweed, is an often-overlooked yet beautiful aster relative replete with eye catching pink to purple late summer-to-fall blooms. Vernonia ranges from compact and tidy plants to towering behemoths topping out at over 13 feet in height, which are sure to make a statement in the landscape. Sam Hoadley, Mt. Cuba’s manager of horticultural research, will be your guide through the Vernonia trials, sharing the best Vernonia for gardens and for wildlife. This program takes place in-person at Mt. Cuba Center Thursday, August 28, 2025. About the Instructor: Sam Hoadley is the Manager of Horticultural

$39

Twilight on the Terrace

Mt Cuba 3120 Barley Mill Rd, Hockessin, DE, United States

Unwind from the week with a bite to eat while enjoying live music on the terrace and evening access to the gardens. Food, beer, and wine will be available for purchase. Lineup and details for the entire series can be found here. This program takes place in-person at Mt. Cuba Center Friday, August 29, 2025 (Rain Date: Following Friday). Music: Olivia Rubini (Pop) Food: Albie’s Burgers & Natalie’s Fine Foods GET TICKETS: General Public Individual+ & Dual+ Members Supporter, Advocate & Conservator Members  

$12 – $20

Gardening for Ecological Resilience Tour

Mt Cuba 3120 Barley Mill Rd, Hockessin, DE, United States

Take an in-depth look at the gardens, discover how to create sustainable landscapes with native plants, and learn effective techniques for gardening for ecological resilience. This 2-hour tour expands on concepts covered in the introductory Welcome Walk, exploring topics including systems thinking, climate change impacts, drought-resistant landscapes, and invasive species management. Learn Practical Solutions to Modern Challenges Gardening for Ecological Resilience emphasizes practical solutions to modern environmental challenges. Explore how native plants contribute to ecosystem stability, act as carbon sinks, provide food and shelter for wildlife, and enhance soil health. Discover Innovative Research and Techniques This tour also highlights Mt.

$7

Native Plants of Fall

Mt Cuba 3120 Barley Mill Rd, Hockessin, DE, United States

Native plants of the Eastern Temperate Forest are beautiful, inspiring, and critically important for healthy landscapes. From the subdued colors and fragrances of spring wildflowers to the exuberance of summer perennials and the captivating hues of fall foliage, discover a wealth of plants to satisfy your gardening needs throughout the seasons. Using Mt. Cuba’s stunning gardens, learn to identify 60 trees, shrubs, and herbaceous perennials in each Native Plants course. Examine their key identifying characteristics, preferred growing conditions, overall size, and ecological significance. Students seeking the certificate must pass the onsite exam. One hour garden tours follow weekly lectures. Tours

$249

Hybrid Native Plants of Fall

Mt Cuba 3120 Barley Mill Rd, Hockessin, DE, United States

Our highly popular Native Plants Series is available in a new course format. View the prerecorded lectures at your own pace prior to joining Mt. Cuba staff for scheduled onsite 2-hour garden tours. Tours include walking over rolling terrain and mulched paths. Dress for the weather. Classes are rain or shine. Six prerecorded online lectures available Monday 9/1. This program takes place in-person at Mt. Cuba Center Three garden tours Saturdays: 9/13, 9/27, & 10/11, Optional Exam 10/18. About the Instructors: Liz Allen is the horticulturist for the Marian Coffin Gardens at Gibraltar as well as NCCL School. In addition

$249