Last week was the Delaware Center for Horticulture Private Gems Garden tour, and as I have already reported on the country part of the tour, this article will feature those gardens in the City of Wilmington. Being a sucker for flamingos, I loved this little fountain nestled in a garden in Union Park Gardens. And this side yard on Baynard Blvd. is the home of an Italian gardener who featured bounteous flowers as well as a very healthy fig tree. These 2 pictures are of Samantha Hunter's garden on Baynard Blvd. which is very unusual for a few reasons. For one, the lot goes through to the next street, offering lots of room for creativity. For two, this garden has nearly year-round interest, holding many plants which were given by family and friends. It won 1st place in last year's garden co... 06/25/2010

The Delaware State Parks 2010 Summer Concert Series is now under way. Looking for some great free entertainment this summer?  Don't miss the 2010 Summer Concert Series now taking place at four state parks throughout the region.  The concerts include a wide range of both local and regional acts in a wide selection of musical styles.  The parks offer a great showcase of the bands and their different styles of music. The concerts themselves will be held in four different locations:  Bellevue State Park, Killens Pond State Park, White Clay Creek State Park, and Rockford Park.  Bellevue began it's series on June 6 and will continue to hold concerts on most Thursdays and Sundays through August 29.  Killens Pond began on June 18th and will run until August 20th.  White Clay Creek also began on... 06/21/2010

At the Brandywine School District’s Summer Stock Theatre Program, students literally run the show. Now in its third year, the five-week program puts its fourth- through 12th-grade cast members in control of nearly every aspect of the production. Eighty-five students will take to the stage, both front and back, for this year’s production of “The Wiz,” a more soulful, 80s-style rendition of “The Wizard of Oz.” “By the end of the show, the adults don’t step in unless there is absolutely something on fire,” said Laura Nichols, production manager. Over the course of the program, which starts with a heavy focus on theatrical games and transitions into intense rehearsals as the show date nears, the students learn about all the different parts of theater, Nichols explained. Students will work ... 06/19/2010

South Graylyn Crest is a  community of 328 homes is located in popular Brandywine Hundred, close to Concord Mall on Rt. 202 out side of the City of Wilmington, Delaware. It is East of Rt. 202 and North of I-95, which is just 5 minutes away, and 25 minutes from Philadelphia International Airport.                                               Back when Graylyn Crest was built between 1955-1957, New Castle County required each community to have parkland.Since one of the parks was between Graylyn and Chatham, they called the park Chatham Park, but  its entrance is from Faun Rd. in Graylyn. The park is located on land that has a creek and springs, and has  tennis courts, a basketball court, and a children's playground. One nice thing about Graylyn Crest is the trees. The story is that when t... 06/13/2010

The Delaware Center for Horticulture hosted an event last night which offered the opportunity to visit 2 gardens in the city of Wilmington, plus those on the grounds of the DCH.  We started at Goodstay Center, a former duPont home now owned by the University of Delaware and used for events and classes.         Dating from about 1740, the house was purchased by Ellen duPont Meeds in 1923. She later married landscape architect Robert Wheelwright. They designed the garden as a colonial "knot" garden, which is a series of squares. It was restored in the 1990's and above you see the house and a spot where a spring emerges into a ferny area and flows out to the rest of the garden as a stream.         Above you see the former swimming (now reflecting) pool and a garden vista from Gibraltar, wh... 06/11/2010

Tyler Arboretum in nearby Media, Pennsylvania has a new theme for the current outdoor exhibit, which is sprinkled along their wooded trails. Local artisans from the tri-state region were invited to bring nature alive on The Magical Path of Tyler's woodlands. Seen below are the Gnome Home and a Green Tree House (which is totally climb-able).                      Running until October 31, 2010, this Tyler Arboretum exhibit has special events always happening, including Sunday, June 13 1:00 - 3:00 pm, when you are invited to weave your way in and around the enchanted Magical Path, but don't forget to first 'pay' your Troll Toll! Your exploration will lead to the homes of many of nature's magical beings - learn about how they protect our natural world and enjoy activities along the way - an... 06/08/2010

The 2010 Greek Festival and Italian Festival arrive in Wilmington DE this week. Today the 2010 Greek Festival opens for its traditional run through Friday June 4th at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church at 9th & Broom Streets.  It's a great opportunity to get a taste of Greece with food, entertainment, and dancing.  The festival will be open from 11:00AM - 11:00PM daily, and this year from 11:00-2:00 everyday, the festival will offer curbside pickup for those that are unable to dine-in at lunch.  Entertainment will begin at 7:30 nightly.  As in the past there will be a free lunch shuttle running from downtown at 9th & Market Streets. Then, the St Anthony's Italian Festival opens on June 6th and continues until June 13th.  The festival will be open from 5:30-10:30 Monday through Frida... 06/01/2010

Happy Memorial Day! Remember to say Thank You for all the sacrifices of every member of the services.  You will always be remembered. Take some time to be with your family & friends.  Enjoy all the region has to offer. David HenkeLong & Foster Real Estate Inc - Newtown Square,PA/Bear, DEOffice: 302-834-3431/Cell: 610-618-0808www.DelawareCountyPennsylvaniaHomes.com 05/30/2010

 The Queen Theater in downtown Wilmington, Delaware, a five-story, two-tiered, 2,000-seat venue built in 1915 and closed since 1959 has had a lot of buzz in the news lately.  It is to become a live music venue run by World Cafe Live, which calls its home the Philadelphia campus of the University of Pennsylvania. I had been on a hard-hat tour of the moldy, reeking Queen Theater several years ago, and there are actually some pictures of the pre-renovation on http://lightupthequeen.org/. A bunch of preservationists were called in for a photo shoot in front of the Queen Theater in support of historic preservation tax credits the other day, and I had a chance to see how the renovation is coming. As you can see from these pictures, the building is pretty much gutted today, which prompted a pl... 05/30/2010

Going to the annual 3 day Wilmington Flower Market has notoriously meant dealing with rain and muddy grounds. But this year, the sun shone down, and the winds blew on this combination carnival, display of local shops and food, and plants and flowers galore on May 7-9. Benefiting children's charities since 1921, this event is a great opportunity to bring the family and wander around on a hopefully sunny day, and I challenge locals to come and not see at least 5 people they know as either volunteers behind the plant tables or at the children's games. I have worn the red apron over white clothes many years either hawking plants or helping the vendors in the market, and always got a kick out of it.   For the last couple of years, the year round star of Rockford Park, Rockford Tower has been... 05/09/2010

The Wilmington Flower Market opened today in Rockford Park DE continuing its 90 year tradition of support for the local community. The Wilmington Flower Market began its traditional Mother's Day weekend run on Thursday May 6 and will run through Saturday May 8.  Filled with flowers, plants, vendors, rides, and fun, it appears that it could not be a better weekend for the event. The Wilmington Flower Market was founded in 1921 as a volunteer organization by Mrs A. Felix duPont to raise money to benefit children in the Wilmington area.  Through its history it has been held in Cool Spring Park, Brandywine Park, and since 1952 in Rockford Park and is run with support of the community and now over 6000 volunteers. The market will be held Thursday through Saturday and is open from 10:00-7:00 ... 05/06/2010

Since the last Senate Bond Bill declared that the yard waste site used by many Brandywine Hundred residents at Cauffiel Park would close July 1, 2010, residents have been buzzing about what this means to them.  Since the State outlawed mixing trash and yard waste a couple of years ago, the choices have been to pay a private hauler a separate fee for yard waste pickup, bring it to Cauffiel between 8:30 and 4:30 on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, or compost it in their own yard. After a hard winter when many residents lost trees, especially evergreens, people have been trekking to Cauffiel with their cars full of this trash.  I have had my car muddied by the results, and fought traffic jams and muddy ruts and people trying to get in the site while others are trying to get out the single lane... 04/28/2010

  Prepare to loosen your belt – Wilmington’s City Restaurant Week is coming. Some of the city’s most creative chefs, from 10 downtown and Riverfront restaurants, will be showcasing two- and three-course culinary consummations during the sixth annual week-long dining event. From April 26 through May 1, patrons can enjoy a fixed-price menu of two-course lunches for $15 and three-course dinners for $35 at all 10 restaurants. For those who like to be gastronomically pampered, some restaurants will also feature a Chef’s Table, with a special menu and personalized treatment. The food-filled week finishes with the $60 Dine Around on May 1, where foodies travel to three different restaurants for appetizer, entree and dessert. Restaurants fill up fast, so don’t dilly-dally about making reservati... 04/25/2010

The village at Christiana Bridge on the Christina River was a major colonial shipping  port. It had been the landing site of the Marquis de Lafayette and 1500 troops in March of 1781.  In 1775, the Continental Congress considered whether or not to declare independence so as to achieve the liberty and opportunity they were denied as British colonies. After a secret mission by Benjamin Franklin to France, that country almost immediately sent armaments and experienced senior officers to aid the colonies. Among them was Lafayette, who at the age of 29, volunteered his service to Rochambeau's French contingent.                                   Judith Jennings has posted this historic marker in Christiana as one of her contributions to the historic character of Christiana. She and her husban... 04/14/2010

We here in the Brandywine Valley are lucky to have some great public gardens, which are the upside of it being the home since 1800 of the DuPont family and their black powder fortunes. I recently visited Winterthur, the historic (1830 house with later additions adding rooms from all original 13 states) former home of Henry Francis duPont (1880-1969), Winterthur Museum and Country Estate. I can remember visiting the 60 acres of gardens when Mr. duPont was still alive, and seeing a slide show in the visitor's center which traced his daily walks through the grounds, pointing out to groundskeepers which walking paths should be open to lead to the horticultural stars in bloom that day. Mr duPont is long gone, and most of the paths are open when the property is open to the public, unless they... 04/08/2010

Wilmington and Western Railroad is open for the season Its that time of year again, the conductor says "ALL ABOARD" the train whistle blows and smiles cross every ones face as the old train starts moving slowly down the track. Every spring I look forward to hoping the train for a hour or two of peace, no tv, radio or cell phone, just myself and family out for the day.  If you have not visited I would highly recommend it! Here is the link to their home page and train schedule. http://www.wwrr.com/   04/04/2010

Tavistock continues to be one of the preferred addresses in north Wilmington Delaware. In 1901 William Bancroft founded the Woodlawn Company, now  Woodlawn Trustees, to promote housing, orderly development, and parks in the city and to acquire and develop property north of Rockland to preserve the land along the lower Brandywine.  As part of this continuing development, Woodlawn has developed much of the land west of the Concord Pike.  They sold individual building lots in various developments to both individuals and builders who followed approved subdivision plans.  These developments included Alapocas, Woodbrook, Sharpley, Edenridge and Tavistock. As part of that development over the years, Tavistock has been developed to be one of the preferred communities of single family homes in N... 03/30/2010

I had received a card saying I would soon get a new remote-read electric meter on my house, and today turned out to be the day. Now I know for sure that there is a satellite going over Brandywine Hundred, north of Wilmington, Delaware. What a historic day for this humble house! Here is a picture of Jason, of Delmarva Power installing the meter. He said that meter readers will no longer try and fight my lilac bush and ivy to read the meter. Also, they won't have to fight their way through the prickly bushes which surround some other meters. That good old satellite will fly over and do the job! Brandywine Hundred, I have seen the future, and it is here! Well, at least in one small way! 03/18/2010

A newly launched Website - www.FriendsOfFurness.org - celebrates the largest extant cluster of buildings designed by noted 19th-century architect Frank Furness, and they are located  right here in downtown Wilmington, Delaware, on the Christina Riverfront.    They  include: •·   The Pennsylvania Railroad French Street Station (now Amtrak Station) 1908 •·   The Pennsylvania Building 1905 •·   Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (West Street Station) ca.1887 The Website site draws attention to the work of the architect who is famous for creating architecturally unique buildings in the Philadelphia area, including stations for three major American railroads:  the Pennsylvania, Reading, and Baltimore & Ohio lines. The Website is promoting this local treasure by providing downloadable lesson plans for... 03/04/2010

Fisker Automotive CEO and Plant Manager to speak at New Castle County Chamber Of Commerce Dinner on March 8th. CEO Henrik Fisker will be the keynote speaker at the Chamber Of Commerce Dinner March 8th and will also be at the State Chamber of Commerce's Brunch and Manufacturing Conference on March 24. If you are moving to Delaware and joining Fisker Automotive click the link below to see homes for sale in within driving distance of the plant.  There are some great deals out there right now. 02/28/2010