Taking a Mid-Atlantic road trip? Stop at these native plant gardens along the way.
/Last October, as I approached the two-acre meadow at the Delaware Botanic Gardens, I had to grin at the improbable cotton-candy clouds of pink muhly grass. I’m still amazed that this airy pastel plant is native to the Mid-Atlantic. In 2020, I had planted some muhly grass along my front sidewalk, not really knowing what to expect. The meadow’s grass was probably planted a year or so ahead of mine, which means I can anticipate similar pink clouds wafting above my yard this autumn.
That’s one of the reasons I love to tour gardens across the Mid-Atlantic: They help me to reimagine my little pocket of our ecosystem. Like many across the region who are turning to native plants and trees, I’m trying to boost my environment by choosing species that support pollinators and birds instead of annuals and shrubs that were introduced from other habitats. That motivation fires me up, and my desire for sensory inspiration leads me to explore our regional gardens, many of which feature native varieties.
As we resume road trips across the Mid-Atlantic, it’s easy to plan a refreshing and informative stop or two at these eight lush regional gardens.
