March 2010

Pages of Time: Mother & Daughter Book and Craft Club (101)
Thursday, March 4, 2010
6:00 - 8:00 pm. For girls in 4th - 6th grade and their female adult caregiver.

Join us for this month's Mother (Adult Female) & Daughter Book and Craft Club meeting at Winterthur--just for girls! Once a month on Thursday evenings, we'll get together to discuss a young adult historical fiction book we've all read, try some tasty historical snacks, and make a cool book-related craft to take home. Moms/adults should be sure to read the books too! March's Book Selection: The Education of Mary: A Little Miss of Color, 1832 by Ann Rinaldi. Registration required. Call 800.448.3883 to register and more details.
Free for Members. $35 per mother/daughter pair for 7-month series. Books should be purchased and/or read prior to each month's club meeting.

Twice as Nice
One Ticket -- Two du Pont Gardens!
March 9–April 30

Friends in town this spring? Share your love of the Brandywine Valley with them. For only $20, visit both Longwood Gardens and Winterthur, including a guided tour of the Winterthur mansion.

Click here for coupon!

Flower Power: Floral Artistry at Winterthur Exhibition
March 9–October 31

Widely known as a collector, horticulturist, and interior designer, Henry Francis du Pont combined these passions in the glorious flower arrangements he created for his home. Du Pont carefully considered color, shape, texture, and fragrance in developing complementary floral designs for his rooms and dining table.

In this exhibition, explore this crucial—and often overlooked—aspect of du Pont’s design prowess, from color palettes to specific flower and vessel choices.
Included with all admission tickets. Members free.

Second Saturdays Garden Walk:
Minor Bulbs and the Wild Garden
March 13, 1:00 pm, Visitor Center

After the Bank to Bend lecture, join Winterthur horticulturists on a walk through our own wild garden. Learn fascinating, little-known details about the plants there and the Winterthur estate. Dress for the weather and wear walking shoes. In case of inclement weather, call 302.888.4915 after 10:00 am. Walks last approximately 90 minutes. Members free. Included with all admission tickets.

Bank to Bend:
The Wild Garden in the 21st Century
March 13, 11:00 am

In his 1870 classic The Wild Garden, William Robinson called upon gardeners to bring a bit of authentic wildness into their home landscapes, and the book incited a revolution toward naturalism that continues today. H. F. du Pont owned a copy of Robinson’s book, which heavily influenced the March Bank and many other parts of Winterthur. The Wild Garden: Expanded Edition has just been published with color photography and additional text by gardener, photographer, and writer Rick Darke. In this multimedia presentation, Darke will share his insights on wild gardening and, through historic and contemporary examples, will explain why it is the most enjoyable, vibrant, and sustainable approach for our time.
$20; $15 Members. Does not include general admission. Free for WGLS and Garden Associates members. To register, call 800.448.3883 or 302.888.4600.

Lecture
The Plimoth Jacket:
A Paradise in Silk and Gold
Sunday, March 14
11:00 am and 2:00 pm

The Plimoth Jacket, on display at Winterthur beginning March 9, is a 1620s-era style woman’s embroidered waistcoat, originally conceived as a centerpiece for a planned exhibition at Plimoth Plantation. The project grew bigger than its humble beginnings however, to become a worldwide phenomenon in collaborative fabrication and research. Dr. Patricia Wilson Nguyen, a member of the team that worked to produce the jacket, will tell the story of how the project grew to encompass the labor of approximately 300 individuals as varied as 4th-grade boys and girls to men and women past their 70s, many of whom had never tried embroidery.

A stunning visual treat, the jacket has provided a rich opportunity for needlework and lace research, shining a light on how complex pieces may have been worked in the 17th century. Not content with using materials available today, the team decoded how threads and spangles were made in the past and had them remade for the project. The research into needlework and lace techniques and materials as well as the inspiring story of developing a community of workers and “internet participants” will be told.
Members free. Included with admission.

Photo by Ed Nute, courtesy of Plimoth Plantation

WOW! Wee Ones at Winterthur
Now offered twice a month (repeated program)! First, check-in or register at the Visitor Center, then walk or take the shuttle over to the Galleries Reception Area of the main museum building to begin the program at 10:15.
Program lasts approx. 1 hour
For ages 3-5 and an adult caregiver(s)
Please come prepared/dressed for a short walk.
March 17 ONLY this month.
On the first or third Wednesday of each month, join us for stories related to Winterthur's collection or garden. This early childhood literacy series incorporates active learning through music, movement, and the exploration of objects in a warm and welcoming setting. This month's story: Ms. Bridie Chose a Shovel. Sorry, not appropriate for day cares or other large groups.
Free for Members. $5 per non-Member child with 1 accompanying adult free. Children under 2 free. $18 each additional adult.

Pine Knot Farms Trunk Show
March 19, 2010 - March 20, 2010
outside Museum Store
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Pine Knot Farms is renowned for growing some of the most beautiful hellebores. The spectacular flowers peak their heads out of the ground in the late winter and early spring and provide some of the first color to the garden. Hellebores are very hardy and thrive in zones 4–9, preferring a shady location. Owners Dick and Judith Knott Tyler travel the world to select stock from the best specialist nurseries and will be here to answer your questions. Stop by the Museum Store to purchase one of these delicate garden wonders!

Floral Arranging Class: Spring Harkens
Saturday, March 20
9:30 am-12:00 pm
Meeting Location: Greenhouse Bldg. #68

Enjoy walking the March Bank on the first day of spring and then return to the headhouse (Bldg. #68) to create your own lush garden basket filled to the brim with early spring-blooming plants. This basket of bulbs in flower will provide weeks of spring pleasure and can be planted outside for returning beauty next year!

Materials and containers will be provided, but please bring clippers. $65; $55 Members

The Sewell C. Biggs
Winterthur Furniture Forum
Nature in Furniture, Furniture in Nature
March 25-26

Join us as we examine the interplay of nature and furniture. Discover an explosion of naturalistic details on historic objects, and watch contemporary craftsmen re-create motifs--from shells and flowers, to vines and leaves--that decorated early furniture. Curators and conservators will share their knowledge of fine furniture made for the home and garden, the parlor and porch. Optional workshops offered on March 24 and 27.

Click here for more information and to register.
$370; $320 Winterthur Members and professionals working for nonprofits; $250 students with valid ID; $75 per workshop

Lost Gardens of the Brandywine Exhibition
March 27 - July 25, 2010

Long known for its lush public gardens, the Brandywine Valley is also home to private gardens whose names ring out from another age. In this stunning exhibition, explore these hidden and lost gems through rare early color images of and garden relics from “one of the chief centers of horticulture in the United States.” Image of Winterthur Sundial Garden courtesy of Hagley Museum and Library

Members free. Included with all admission tickets.

Floral Arranging Class: Easter Centerpiece Treasure
Wednesday, March 31
6:30-8:30 pm
Meeting Location: Greenhouse Bldg. #68

Join Winterthur’s talented floral arrangers in creating a stunning centerpiece for your Easter table. The best of spring cut flowers will be chosen, and the style will reflect the design aesthetic of the estate: abundant elegant flowers in wonderful color.

Materials and containers will be provided. Please bring clippers. $65; $55 Members

Becoming a Garden Volunteer
March 31, 9:30-11:00 a.m., Visitor Center, then Rotunda

Are you interested in learning more about gardening and about Winterthur? Join us for this introduction to volunteering in the Winterthur garden led by staff members and current volunteers.

Free, call 302.888.4779 to register.

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