Delaware Botanic Gardens
30220 Piney Neck Road
Dagsboro, DE 19939
(302) 321-9061
https://www.delawaregardens.org/
Open: Sunday 9:00am-4:00pm/Monday-Wednesday Closed/Thursday-Saturday 9:00am-4:00pm
Admission: Adults: $15.00/Children 16 and under free/Members free-Guided tours $10.00 for both Members and adults/Children under 16 free
My review on TripAdvisor:
The entrance of the Gardens at 30220 Piney Neck Road
Starting the tour at the new visitors center
The water catch bastion which helps stop flooding and erosion
The Botanic Garden’s Meadow area with grasses and flowers the Piet Oudolf Meadow
The Meadows area right behind the Visitors Center
The West Woodland Edge sign on the edge of the Meadows
The colorful plantings along the paths
The colorful flowers along the paths
View of the Meadows
The Cactus Garden in the Meadows
The Inland Dunes sign in the Inland Dunes Garden
The Inland Dunes in full color
Once you leave the Meadows area with its grasses and flowers to the pathways into the woods that line the inlet.
History and Makeup of the Gardens:
(From the Garden website):
Three topographical attributes of the 37-acre site guide the gardens and buildings: a 25-acre flat uplands plateau highlighted by an innovative meadow created by world famous plantsman Piet Oudolf, a 12.5-acre sloped woodlands with freshwater wetlands, and 1,000 feet of waterfront with tidal wetlands on Pepper Creek.
The garden adds to the former farmland thousands of new trees, shrubs, vines, and herbaceous perennials, primarily native, that thrive in the coastal plain. All of the garden galleries, especially the Woodland Gardens and the Meadow, are hospitable environments for native and migratory birds.
The pathway into the Woodlands Gardens, a 26 acre natural garden
The fireplace in the woods
The Woods Gardens:
(From the Garden website):
The garden’s most striking natural feature is a relatively undisturbed, heavily canopied, stratified forest, whose 12.5 acres stretch along the site’s southern boundary and slope gently down to the 1,000-foot frontage on Pepper Creek. The forested wetlands offer natural venues for ferns and moss and showcase the unique plants and wildlife that thrive in this moist habitat.
The landscaped fountain at the beginning of the pathways
As you walk down and around the pathways, there are a series of sculptures in the shape of animals and reptiles that give a whimsical look at Mother Nature.
The Snail
The Turtle
The Blue Crab
The Fairy Ring where students will meet while touring the Gardens
The pathways leading to the Inlet and the Observation decks
The Sea Serpent sculpture in the Inlet at Pepper Creek, a mixture of Salt and Fresh water
The Pepper Creek Inlet and the Living Shoreline trying prevent erosion around the Inlet
The Pepper Creek Inlet Garden area:
(From the Garden website):
At the Woodlands’ 1,000 feet of shoreline, Pepper Creek is a briny mix of salt water and fresh water. The eight-mile-long creek originates near the Cypress Swamp in southern Delaware, 3 miles north of the Delaware-Maryland state line. It flows from the DBG shoreline into the Indian River Bay.
The sign for the Living Shoreline and a natural way of preventing erosion around the Inlet.
While I was on the Observation Deck, a Heron flew in and started feeding. Even when he was feeding, he looked so graceful.
The Heron looking for his prey
The Pepper Creek Inlet and the shores
As I walked back down the paths, there was another Fairy Ring meeting spot for people to meet.
The Fairy Ring for Children’s meetings
As I walked through the woods admiring nature, I came across a camel who was taking a break at the bridge. These sculptures are very creative and fun.
The Camel at the Bridge
The Octopus
I passed more of the Marsh while walking around the paths that have been kept natural.
The Marshes
The Wizard
Unusual tall trees
Medusa standing guard
The Lizard
The Spider’s web
The Pines with the Spiders web in the middle
Then I exited the path nearest to the Visitor’s Center
After I left the main part of the woods, I walked around the gift shop and then exited to the Parking lot.
The Colorful painting on the path to the parking lot
The Rhyne Garden sits between the main garden and the parking lot that serves as a catch basin for rain water.
The colorful flowers and grasses that now line the catch basin
Exiting the Gardens after a wonderful visit
After I finished at the Gardens, I headed back down Route 26 East back to the beach. I came across Bonkey’s Ice Cream & Snoballs at 44 Atlantic Avenue in Ocean View. The colorful sign drew me in and the excellent homemade ice cream kept me there for almost an hour.
Bonkey’s Ice Cream & Snoballs at 44 Atlantic Avenue in Ocean View, DE
My review on TripAdvisor:
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Profile/R4960NKjustinw/mediabatch/13544566?m=19905
The front of the colorful ice cream shop
The colorful fence
The whimsical giant chair
The extensive menu of ice cream treats
The ice cream is amazing here. I had the Double Double which is four large scoops of ice cream for $7.00.
The flavors I chose were Banana Wafer, Lemon Blueberry, Blue Moon and Cotton Candy. The taste of these homemade ice creams were wonderful, creamy and flavorful.
It was nice to sit outside on the shaded seating on the lawn on a nice day and enjoy my sundae. It was a nice day and I wanted to enjoy it.
It was a nice afternoon out.
- A Local Journey out of Manhattan
- Botanical Gardens and Parks
- Dedicated to Warren Watrel
- Educational Museums
- Experiences and Tours
- Exploring Dagsboro, DE
- Exploring Manhattan Block by Block
- Exploring New York City by Foot
- Exploring Ocean View, DE
- Exploring the Island of Manhattan
- Historic sites of Delaware
- Small Historical Societies in Delaware
- Small Museums and Galleries in Delaware
- Uncategorized
- VisitingaMuseum.com
Visiting a Museum: The Unique, Unusual, Obscure and Historical 
Don’t miss these beautiful gardens in their infancy. The gardens will be even more spectacular as they mature.
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