Lenny Wilson will present “An Overview of the Delaware Center for Horticulture, and Oddly Native and Under-used Plants” from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 17, at the Lewes Public Library. Wilson will provide a look at the center’s history and new direction, as well as his role as president of the Board of Directors for Friends of the Goodstay Gardens. Then Wilson will discuss oddly native and under-used plants for use in gardens, parks, traffic medians and other public landscape applications. The program is free to Delaware Botanic Gardens members and $15 for nonmembers.
Wilson graduated in 1982 from the University of Delaware with a bachelor’s degree in English. After attending a leather trade school in London, England, in 1988, he began his horticultural pursuits in Wilmington working for a local landscape designer in estate gardens. In 1992, Wilson joined the grounds department at Swarthmore College as garden manager. During this time, he assisted with the development of several new gardens at the Scott Arboretum and learned the satisfaction of public gardening.
In 1999, Lenny joined the staff at the Delaware Center for Horticulture and is now associate director of horticulture and facilities. In this role, he manages the DCH headquarters and gardens, and manages several elements of DCH’s main fundraising event, The Rare Plant Auction. DCH is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in Delaware’s diverse communities through horticulture. Resourcefulness and artful conservation are key practices of DCH’s philosophy. DCH buildings, gardens and public landscapes are masterworks of recycling and sustainability.
Wilson lives in north Wilmington where he gardens in a naturalized landscape around his suburban home which features a rustic arbor, antique ironwork and a new rain garden.
There will be a drawing for a $50 gift certificate from Lord’s Landscaping Inc., Millville, lordslandscaping.com.
This lecture is one of a series sponsored by the Delaware Botanic Gardens at Pepper Creek, whose mission is to create a world-class, inspirational, educational, and sustainable public botanic garden in southern Delaware for the benefit and enjoyment of the public. For more informatin go to delawaregardens.org.
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