York, PA Girl Scouts Create Garden at DBG

On June 18, Girl Scouts from Troop 20566, York, PA created a new garden project at the Delaware Botanic Gardens (DBG) in Dagsboro, DE.  The 15 Girl Scouts and 9 adults worked on preparing this project for months.  They selected 500 plants and 4 redbud trees, which they planted on one very hot day.

Co-Troop Leader Wendy Brister explained, “We have been working on this project since March, raising money by selling native plants, and we have been learning about native plants in troop meetings.  Our emphasis was teaching the importance of pollinators in the garden.”

DBG President Ray Sander said, “This is a very special day.  This sets the example of how DBG will work with the Girl and Boy Scout organizations in the area.”  He pointed out that the troop co-leader, Wendy Brister, is a longtime supporter of Delaware Botanic Gardens. He told Wendy, “Your troop’s donation of plants and hard work has greatly enhanced the garden’s natural beauty.”

DBG Director of Horticulture Gregg Tepper said, “I’m excited about how this Girl Scout project turned out.  The dedication and generosity of Girl Scout Troop 20566 is here for all our visitors to enjoy as they walk along the western edge of Woodland Garden.”

Troop 20566 is part of the Echo Valley Community of Girl Scouts Heart of Pennsylvania.  They meet in eastern York County and the Girl Scouts attend Eastern York School District and Central York School District.  Co-Troop leader Marie Moore also explained that they are an unusual group because Troop 20566 is composed of mixed age groups including Brownies (grades 3 and 4), Juniors (grades 4 and 5) and Cadets (grades 6, 7 and 8).  “We all stay together and learn together,” Marie said.  Girl Scout Catarina Brigham observed, “This is such a pretty and calming place, I like the gardens.”

Executive Director Sheryl Swed said, “As a former Girl Scout, I am so proud of these young women and their wonderful contribution to the beauty of the gardens.”

The mission of the Delaware Botanic Gardens is to create an inspirational, educational, and sustainable public garden in Delaware for the benefit and enjoyment of all.  The Delaware Botanic Gardens celebrates the coastal plain with a sustainable garden that delights and educates visitors and inspires them to preserve Delmarva’s native landscape.

Troop 20566 & adult leaders Marie Moore & Wendy Brister on  Mound in Meadow Garden with dbg hosts sheryl swed, left & gregg tepper, right
photo by ray bojarski

New DBG Leaders

For Immediate Release June 15, 2018

The President of Delaware Botanic Gardens (DBG) Ray Sander announced the election of two new Board of Directors members at DBG.  Sander said, “As DBG continues the journey to open in 2019, we are honored to have an outstanding team of devoted Delmarva volunteers, who are bringing the gardens to life.” He continued, “Ron and Brent have been volunteer leaders and generous financial contributors to our gardens.”  The new Board members are:

Ronald Bass is a resident of Rehoboth Beach, DE.  He holds a BS in business administration from the University of Baltimore.  He worked for the Social Security Administration for 30 years.  Ron has devoted himself to community service.  Upon retirement, he worked as a volunteer with the Baltimore City mayor’s office on architectural projects in the city and volunteered for over 10 years managing the Otterbein Community Parks.  The parks system consisted of seven different parks spread throughout the community and included infrastructure maintenance, planting contracts, lighting coordination with the city along with simple planting and watering duties.  He is a devoted volunteer at DBG.

Brent Baker is a resident of Millville, DE.  He began his love of nature in the Boy Scouts, where he reached the rank of Eagle Scout.  He has 45 years of Communication-PR experience.  He served on active military duty for 29 years, and retired as the Navy’s Chief of Information with the rank of Rear Admiral.  Brent then served as a professor and the Dean of the College of Communication, Boston University.  He holds a BS in Communications from Northwestern University and an MS in Journalism from the University of Wisconsin.  Brent brings his communications expertise to DBG serving as our Communications Advisor.  He is a lifelong gardener and volunteers as one of the DBG Garden Stewards.

DBG Executive Director Sheryl Swed also announced that Carol McCloud, the Vice President of the Board, a resident of Fenwick Island, has assumed new duties as the DBG Garden Stewards’ and Docents’ Coordinator.  Sheryl said, “As we approach the opening of the gardens we thank all our volunteers who have been key to getting the gardens ready for visitors.  Now, we need more volunteers to help us become operational in 2019.  If you enjoy gardening, we need you.  If you would like to be a DBG hospitality volunteer, we need you too.  Please go to our website www.delawaregardens.org and click on Join Us.”

The mission of the Delaware Botanic Gardens is to create an inspirational, educational, and sustainable public garden in Delaware for the benefit and enjoyment of all.  The Delaware Botanic Gardens celebrates the coastal plain with a sustainable garden that delights and educates visitors and inspires them to preserve Delmarva’s native landscape.

Ron Bass

Brent Baker

Carol McCloud

Students Engage Nature at DBG

For immediate release June 4, 2018

On May 31, thirty-two Sussex Central High School students visited the Delaware Botanic Gardens (DBG) in Dagsboro, DE to observe nature and conduct various projects. The junior-year students were welcomed by Ray Sander, President of DBG, who said, “DBG is in the beginning of a long-journey and we are very proud to have these young scholars as participants on this journey.” He said he hoped they would return next year when the DBG will be open to the public.

Students with Gregg Tepper
Photo by Ray Bojarski

Ryan Revel, a biology teacher, organized the field trip with Sheryl Swed, the Executive Director of DBG. Swed explained that the Sussex Central students were the first student group to visit the garden, as part of a “pilot” educational field trip. She explained, “This is the beginning of the DBG education program.”

Ryan explained, “The science part of our International Baccalaureate DP Program requires that students do something called a group four project. At Sussex Central, we teach two group four courses, biology and chemistry. The content of the courses is college level. Students take these courses over a period of two years. The project is collaborative in nature and is a required element.”

The two-hour visit began with students recording the weather conditions, which affect the plants and observations in the garden.  Then there was a tour of the gardens led by Gregg Tepper, Director of Horticulture. He explained how the various plants support the wildlife in the gardens. Therefore, it is a “living” garden. Observing the meadow garden, student Ryan Sosnoski said, “I like the diversity of plants here.”  Walking in the much cooler Woodland Garden, student Ashleigh Steele said, “I like the variety of environments within the gardens, there is something for everybody.”

After the tour, the students assembled at the Wetland Outdoor Classroom.  They divided into three basic groups. One group studied the native plants as they prepared a “Field Guide” of 30 native plants. The second group began taking water samples at the Wetland Outdoor Classroom, and the third group began to take “soil samples” at the Wetland Outdoor Classroom. The Wetland Outdoor Classroom was designed and constructed by Todd Fritchman and Envirotech. Dogfish Head has generously underwritten the costs of this important learning feature.

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Teachers Ryan Revel and Kristen Ables with students
Photo by ray bojarski

The chemistry teacher, Kristen Ables said, “Field work is always the best, and I’m looking forward to comparing these water and soil samples with the data you already have.”  The samples went back to the classroom for further study.

Ryan Revel summed up the Sussex Central High School visit saying, “I think a lot of learning happened here today. I envision these students bringing their children here someday. It is amazing to me that so much of the information Gregg Tepper shared today was so similar to what I have said in the classroom. This visit magnified many of those teaching points.”

The mission of the Delaware Botanic Gardens is to create an inspirational, educational, and sustainable public garden in Delaware for the benefit and enjoyment of all. The Delaware Botanic Gardens celebrates the coastal plain with a sustainable garden that delights and educates visitors and inspires them to preserve Delmarva’s native landscape.

Dutch Land Again in Delaware

For immediate release May 7, 2018

Over 300 years ago, the Dutch settlers arrived to establish the first town in Delaware, now the town of Lewes, DE.

On May 3-4, there was another Dutch landing when the internationally renowned Dutch Garden Designer, Piet Oudolf landed near Dagsboro, DE, at the new Delaware Botanic Gardens (DBG).  Piet was in Delaware to supervise the gardens’ 100 volunteers planting nearly 18,000 new native perennials in the 2-acre Meadow Garden. This planting took two days, and added to the 17,000 native perennials planted last September.

To mark this occasion a Sip & Saunter celebration for garden supporters and volunteers was held on Friday May 4. The Sip & Saunter celebration was the first public onsite event, and was made more festive by the support of Dogfish Head Brewery.

Attending the celebration were state and local government officials, including U.S. Senator Tom Carper and State Representative Ron Gray.

Standing in the center of the meadow, Rep. Ron Gray presented Piet with a tribute proclamation from the Delaware House of Representatives, stating,

DBG President Ray Sander said, “The 2-acre Meadow Garden, designed by Piet Oudolf, is the jewel in the crown of DBG. When completely planted in June 2018, this Garden will have 70,000 perennials and grasses. We are thankful that Piet took the time to be with our garden friends, sponsors and volunteers, who are making the garden, come to life. While we are still building, our gardens will begin to be open to the public sometime in 2019.

The mission of the Gardens is to create an inspirational, educational, and sustainable public garden in Delaware for the benefit and enjoyment of all.

The Delaware Botanic Gardens will celebrate the coastal plain with a sustainable garden that delights and educates visitors and inspires them to preserve Delmarva’s native landscape.

Behind the Scenes Preview at Delaware Botanic Gardens

For immediate release April 9, 2018

There is a rare opportunity for people who love nature and gardening to have a Behind the Scenes preview at the Delaware Botanic Gardens (DBG) in Dagsboro on May 4.  Bear in mind that the gardens are being built from scratch by Delmarva professionals and volunteers.  As Ray Sander, President of DBG, states “not many people have ever seen the birth of a botanic garden in the first stage of development.”  In fact, over 50 local and visiting volunteers will have just added 30,000 plants to the Meadow Garden.  Be among the first to see this garden.

Piet Oudolf working in the Delaware Botanic Gardens meadow
Photo by ray bojarski

The centerpiece of this event is a chance to meet Piet Oudolf, the internationally renowned Dutch garden designer, who will be walking the Meadow path and discussing his iconic design.

Dogfish Head Brewery is the sponsor of this DBG fundraising event, so you can “Sip and Saunter” through the Meadow Garden.  Sander believes, “this is truly a rare behind the scenes preview of what will become a wonderful experience for both locals and visitors”.

For more information about this fund raising event and to purchase tickets, visit the DBG website at www.delawaregardens.org/new-events/2018-sip-and-saunter.  You may also text, call Sheryl Swed at 202-262-9856 or email her at sherylswed@delawaregardens.org for details.

Celebrate Spring with DBG

For immediate release March 2, 2018

Gardeners are beginning to get their boots wet, as they survey their slowly waking gardens.  The early daffodils are up. Gardeners everywhere will soon be planting.  On a larger scale, that’s what’s happening at the new Delaware Botanic Gardens (DBG) at Pepper Creek.

Gregg Tepper, DBG Director of Horticulture, observed, “With warmer temperatures arriving and increasing day length, I’m seeing many of the perennials planted last year in the Meadow Garden beginning to break the soil surface showing that spring will soon be here.”

The 2-acre Meadow Garden, designed by internationally known Dutch designer, Piet Oudolf is the jewel in the crown of DBG. When completely planted, this garden will have 70,000 herbaceous perennials and grasses.

DBG needs support for its next spring planting of 30,000 herbaceous perennials and grasses, which our volunteers will lovingly “hand plant” in late April-early May.

Ray Sander, President of Delaware Botanic Garden (DBG) said, “We call on our Delmarva neighbors and friends to support the second phase of the planting of the Piet Oudolf Meadow Garden.”

A www.gofundme.com/DelawareBotanicGardens has been set up for those wishing to contribute to the purchase of plants for the Meadow Garden.

The mission of the Gardens is to create an inspirational, educational, and sustainable public garden in Delaware for the benefit and enjoyment of all. The Delaware Botanic Gardens will celebrate the coastal plain with a sustainable garden that delights and educates visitors and inspires them to preserve Delmarva’s native landscape.

Further information on the Delaware Botanic Gardens, including membership, and volunteering go to www.delawaregardens.org and www.facebook.com/delawaregardens.

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Sedum in the Folly Garden
by Ray Borjarski

Delaware Botanic Gardens New Appointments

For immediate release February 23, 2018

At the February 2018 Board meeting of the Delaware Botanic Garden (DBG), Ray Sander, DBG President noted, “DBG is by every measure a community garden. While it has attracted nationally and internationally renowned designers and highly respected engineering and construction experts, the project’s workforce is drawn almost exclusively from dedicated volunteers who live here on Delmarva. It is within this context that we proudly announce the build-out of the DBG team, with additional respected community volunteers to help us achieve the reality of a flagship public garden on Pepper Creek.”

The Board of Directors and Carla Markell, Chair of the Advisory Council have appointed two new members to the DBG Advisory Council – LeDee Lickle Wakefield and David C. Doane.  Markell, said, “As the creation of this exceptional public garden becomes a reality, we are honored to welcome these experienced leaders from across our state to our Advisory Council.  Their proven records of community service and success further enhance the entire DBG effort.”

LeDee Lickle Wakefield, is a native of Wilmington, and the comptroller at The Inn at Montchanin Village and Spa. She is also an event planner, who has dedicated herself to community service through her extensive experience on the Boards of Preservation Delaware, Young Friends of the Brandywine River Museum, Delaware Guidance Services (DGS), and Paws for People. LeDee remarked, “When I saw the Pepper Creek site and the vision for this remarkable public garden, I wanted to be part of the effort to create this beautiful asset which will be a destination to all who live in and visit Delaware.”

David C. Doane, CPA, served on the DBG Board and now will join the Advisory Council. David is vice-president of Jefferson, Urian, Doane & Sterner, P.A., where he has specialized in family owned business enterprise matters.  David has an extensive history of community service including, past president of Rehoboth/Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce, and a life long association with Easter Seals, where he most recently co-chaired its capital campaign. He serves on several boards, such as Pyle Center Trust, and the Sussex Advisory Board for the Delaware Community Foundation.  David has recently joined the Board of Directors of Bank of Delmarva. David said, “I have been honored to serve on the Board with such dedicated colleagues. Joining the Advisory Council will enable me to continue with this project, which will be a major addition to Sussex County.”

The Board of the Delaware Botanic Gardens (DBG) also announced other new appointments.

Carol McCloud, Vice President

Ray Sander, DBG President, said, “Carol has served as a key Board Member, and has stepped up to assist the executive leadership team on daily operations.”

Carol, a Wilmington, DE native, is the former president of the Barefoot Gardeners Club in Fenwick Island and a State Life Member of the Delaware Federation of Garden Clubs.  Carol retired from W.L. Gore and Associates, Newark, DE where she specialized in Payroll & Benefits, Computer Software Implementation of both People Soft and Occupational Health Services.  She is SHRM certified in Human Resources & Payroll. Her community service for the Town of Fenwick Island focuses on beach dune preservation and Earth Day activities. She is also a member of the Fenwick Island Historical Group. For several years, she has been a volunteer for Delaware Botanic Gardens and is Chair of the DBG Speakers/Tour Bureau. She lives in Fenwick Island, DE.

Grant Watchorn, Corporate Treasurer & Board Officer

Grant replaces Richard W. Weissmann, who served as Treasurer over the past year.  The Board noted, “We salute and thank Rich for guiding us through the complex financial details that are part of a startup garden. We welcome Grant aboard.”

Grant is a CPA, holds a BS in Accounting, an MBA, and graduate studies in both information systems and logistics management. He is a U.S. Air Force veteran, working in logistic management. He has extensive corporate experience at Western Electric Co., Westinghouse Electric Systems Group and Northrop Grumman Corp.  Since his retirement from Grumman, Grant has provided pro-bono financial services to several non-profits, including AARP. He lives in Ocean View, DE. Grant said, “After settling into the Bethany Beach area, I started looking for opportunities where I could utilize my interests, skills, and experience. When I first visited the Delaware Botanic Gardens it seemed like a good fit, so now I’m on the team and look forward to my time working with them.”

Sally Boswell, Development and Outreach staff

Sally joins the DBG staff after serving for twelve years as Outreach and Education Coordinator for the Delaware Center for Inland Bays. She is a seasoned communications professional with a proven track record in the non-profit and private sectors. She has spent her career in non-profit communications serving the City of Baltimore, Maryland Public Television, and John Hopkins University before launching a business in Baltimore. Sally has served on numerous boards including the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, BioTrek Naturalists, and the Rehoboth Art League. She holds a B.A, degree in Communications Arts from Salisbury University and Masters in Liberal Arts from John Hopkins University. She continues to serve on the DBG Advisory Council.

DBG Executive Director, Sheryl Swed said, “We are honored that this exceptional project continues to attract the interest and support of leaders from across the region offering their experience and expertise to this landmark project. All these appointments are further indications that we are moving full speed ahead as we build our team aimed at opening the garden gates in 2019.”

Further information on the Delaware Botanic Gardens, including membership, volunteering and donations, go to www.delawaregardens.org and www.facebook.com/delawaregardens

The Delaware Botanic Gardens is Planning for Spring!

For immediate release January 25, 2018

It’s January. The days are lengthening minute by minute, but the ground is frozen, the nighttime temperatures are bitterly cold, and spring seems a distant hope.  Still, the seeds have arrived at the hardware stores and garden centers, and just the sight of them inspires dreams of summer’s flowering gardens.

At the Delaware Botanic Gardens on Pepper Creek, there has been no pause for winter.    It is a giant leap of faith and a boatload of blood, sweat and tears to create a botanic garden from 37 acres of fallow farm fields and sloping woodlands. There are the things seen…the flowers, trees and pathways…and the things unseen…electrical service, irrigation and utilities.  All in need of donations to make them happen.

In December, the DBG was awarded a generous multi-year grant from the Ellice & Rosa McDonald Foundation toward the creation of the Entry Garden which includes the drive in from Piney Neck Road, the parking area, and the Rhyne Garden which will capture and filter run-off water from the adjacent building and paved surfaces.

Many of our volunteers at the 2017 Delaware Botanic Gardens Volunteer Appreciation dinner stand behind Gregg Tepper, Cam Yorkston, Ray Sander and Sheryl Swed who are displaying the grant check from the Ellice & Rosa McDonald Foundation.

Executive Director, Sheryl Swed said, “We are grateful for this leadership grant for this important garden that will welcome visitors to the Delaware Botanic Garden, and hope that it will inspire others to donate so that it can go forward.”                                

Ray Sander, DBG President of the Board expressed thanks to the 137 friends and members who made donations to the Gardens between ‘Giving Tuesday’ in November and the year end, totaling nearly $30 thousand, but said “there is still a steep hill to climb and many new friends to be made.  As we begin 2018, we have raised over $2 million for this visionary project and 95% of these funds have been spent here in Delaware with local firms and businesses, which in turn helped create and sustain jobs in our region.  $1.5 million is still needed to complete the work in Phase One to ‘Open the Garden Gates.’” He noted that for those who would like to make a legacy gift, there are opportunities for individuals to name a garden in memory or in honor of a loved one or family.

Creating a botanic garden from the ground up is a costly endeavor. Gregg Tepper, DBG Director of Horticulture said, “We are grateful for the tremendous encouragement and support we’ve received from the horticultural community. The in-kind donations from these partners and the work of our volunteers is so important to our success.”

In September, the DBG will hold it’s annual ‘farm dinner’ in the Gardens for the first time—it will be a chance for the public to get a first look at the Delaware Botanic Gardens and see the Meadow Garden, designed by internationally renowned Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf, in bloom for the first time. Tickets will go on sale this summer.

The mission of the Gardens is to create an inspirational, educational, and sustainable public garden in Delaware for the benefit and enjoyment of all. The Delaware Botanic Gardens will celebrate the coastal plain with a sustainable garden that delights and educates visitors and inspires them to preserve Delmarva’s native landscapes.

Further information on the Delaware Botanic Gardens, including membership and donations, go to delawaregardens.org and facebook.com/delawaregardens.

Press release as seen in the Cape Gazette.

Delaware Botanic Gardens Makes Major Leap Forward Toward ‘Opening the Garden Gates’ in 2019

This month the Delaware Botanic Gardens on Pepper Creek took a major leap forward in its drive to become a landmark public garden in the region, and a tourist destination for Delaware

The internationally renowned Dutch garden designer, Piet Oudolf, whose planting design for New York City’s famed greenway, the High Line, draws millions of visitors each year, arrived in Dagsboro just after Labor Day to oversee the planting of the first phase of the Delmarva Meadow at the Delaware Botanic Gardens.  This is his first installation in the mid-Atlantic region. 

For the DBG, Mr. Oudolf designed one of his iconic perennial meadows using over 65,000 plants, primarily native varieties, each placed to create a landscape of year-around beauty with color, texture and movement.  Gregg Tepper, DBG Director of Horticulture, noted that “butterflies, bluebirds and goldfinches arrived to the meadow while we were still planting—a great sign that the meadow will not only inspire and delight people, but will attract the birds, bees and other pollinators so essential to our gardens and to our farms on Delmarva.”

Holly Shimizu, former Executive Director of the United States Botanic Garden and Advisory Council member for DBG said that, “This garden will confirm the astounding beauty that can be achieved through the artistic, thoughtful and sensitive placement of beautiful plants in a meadow environment.

“Piet Oudolf’s design for the Delmarva Meadow is absolutely brilliant, and the planting that has just been completed brings that brilliance to life,” said Donald Rakow, DBG

Advisory Council member and Associate Professor at Cornell University and Fellow at the Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future. Rodney D. Robinson, Advisory Council member and landscape architect and designer said, “The creation of this extraordinary Meadow Garden is a major accomplishment for any public garden.  I can't think of a better way to introduce the Delaware Botanic Gardens to the public.” 

Over five days, 17,000 plants were placed and planted by more than fifty volunteers working in teams, each led by professional horticulturists and landscape contractors, many volunteering their time for the opportunity to work with Piet Oudolf.

Barbara Katz, Advisory Council member and owner of London Landscapes, who worked with DBG Horticulturist, Gregg Tepper to plan and organize the monumental planting project, lauded “the exceptional enthusiasm, patience and skill of the myriad volunteers that created a laser-focused atmosphere, vibrating with positive energy.”

“Many horticulturists and landscape contractors not only shared their expertise but also made generous in-kind donations, to help propel the project,” said Executive Director Sheryl Swed.

Looking ahead, DBG Board President, Ray Sander said, “"When the public sees the beauty of this Delmarva Meadow, there will be a realization that having a Piet Oudolf Meadow in Delaware is the gardening equivalent of having Amazon and Apple select Delaware for their headquarters."  

The world is already taking notice. In a Washington Post article published this week, author and veteran gardening columnist Adrian Higgins recalled walking the site alone with Oudolf, “…the rock star from Hummelo turned to me and said: ‘The garden scene here is small.  But so much energy.  It’s unbelievable.’”

After visiting the Gardens, Mr. Higgins had his own high praise, “If cultural institutions were boxers, the DBG would be Rocky Balboa, an underdog with a seemingly uncrushable spirit.”

The Board of Directors of the Delaware Botanic Gardens hopes to ‘Open the Garden Gates’ in 2019.

A series of videos documenting the planting of the meadow can be viewed on the DBG website at delawaregardens.org  Other videos of the Gardens are on the DBG YouTube channel at youtube.com/channel/UCAvrTN_li6I2gDR6NswkvsA

The Delaware Botanic Gardens at Pepper Creek has embarked on a multiyear, multiphase plan to establish a flagship botanic garden for Delmarva that manifests the values motivating all garden lovers everywhere—from the magnificence of nature to the role of horticulture in learning, enjoyment, health and conservation.

Founded in 2012 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Delaware Botanic Gardens will celebrate the coastal plain with a flagship sustainable garden that delights and educates visitors and inspires them to preserve Delmarva’s native landscapes.

Further information on the Delaware Botanic Gardens, including membership and donations, go to delawaregardens.org and facebook.com/delawaregardens

Carla Markell Appoints Four Members to the Delaware Botanic Gardens Advisory Council

The Board of the Delaware Botanic Gardens (DBG) and Carla Markell announced the appointment of four new members to the DBG Advisory Council.  In naming the new members, Shawn M. Garvin, Barbara Katz, Sally Boswell and Diane Maddex, Markell, chair of the Advisory Council said, "As the vision of this world class public garden becomes a reality, we are honored to welcome these experienced new advisers to our team."    

DBG Executive Director, Sheryl Swed said, "We are honored that this exceptional project continues to attract the interest and support of thought leaders from across the region offering their experience and expertise to this landmark project."

Shawn Garvin, Secretary of the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) has 25 years of experience in environmental matters and public health, most recently as Environmental Protection Agency regional administrator prior to his DNREC appointment.  He joins his two DNREC predecessors on the Advisory Council; David Small, now a Senior Consultant with Duffield Associates, and Collin O’Mara, President and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. “Having the participation and guidance of these three environmental leaders, will ensure that DBG achieves our vision, mission and commitment to preservation and land stewardship,” said Swed.                    

Barbara Katz, a widely respected landscape designer and landscape industry leader brings 30 years of experience to the Advisory Council, strengthening the DGB’s connection to leading professional nurseries which are important sources for the public gardens' creation. Katz was responsible for introducing world renowned landscaped designer, Piet Oudolf, to the Delaware Botanic Garden. Oudolf is designing the Delmarva Meadow, one of the major features of the DBG and his first installation in the mid-Atlantic region.  Katz has worked closely with DGB Director of Horticulture, Gregg Tepper, to identify and secure over 65 thousand plants that Oudolf selected for the Delmarva Meadow. Planting of the meadow is scheduled to begin in September.

Sally Boswell has demonstrated her leadership and commitment to conservation and environmental protection as an educator and nonprofit leader in Delaware. She brings more than three decades of experience in public affairs, communications, project management and strategic planning.  For twelve years, she directed the education and outreach program at the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays.   “Boswell’s experience directing environmental education programs will be a great accelerator to DGB's education mission and the Dogfish Head Outdoor Living Classroom being built in conjunction with Envirotech Environmental Consulting.  We also look forward to benefiting from her extensive knowledge of the Delmarva region in support of public outreach and fundraising on behalf of the DBG.” according to Swed.

As a DBG Board member, Diane Maddex was a major contributor in the development of the Delaware Botanic Gardens’ branding, bringing her skills and aesthetic eye to the design of the website and publications. She is an award-winning architectural author and had a key role in attracting Lake/Flato, an architectural firm known for its leadership in ‘place-based sustainable architecture’ to the DBG project.  “A DBG Board Member the past several years,” Swed said, “we are grateful that Diane will continue to share her great knowledge of architecture and design as a member of the Advisory Council.”

Ray Sander, DBG President, said, "With the addition of these four outstanding professionals to the Advisory Council plus the previously announced appointment of Susan Ryan, our former DBG President, we go forward with a group of remarkable individuals who have achieved exceptional public and private sector accomplishments. As members of our Advisory Council they are bringing their intellectual firepower and energy to help create this wonderful addition to life on Delmarva -- the Delaware Botanic Gardens"

Upcoming events include a September 8th lecture by Piet Oudolf, including a preview of a recently completed documentary of Oudolf's work at Lewes Public Library; followed by a private reception with Oudolf at the Dogfish Head Inn in Lewes. The Annual DBG Farm Dinner at Good Earth Farm is planned for September 28.  Tickets for these events are on sale now at delawaregardens.org.

The Delaware Botanic Gardens at Pepper Creek has embarked on a multiyear, multiphase plan to establish a flagship botanic garden for Delmarva that manifests the values motivating all garden lovers everywhere—from the magnificence of nature to the role of horticulture in learning, enjoyment, health and conservation. Founded in 2012 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Delaware Botanic Gardens will celebrate the coastal plain with a flagship sustainable garden that delights and educates visitors and inspires them to preserve Delmarva’s native landscapes.

Further information on the Delaware Botanic Gardens, including membership and donations, go to delawaregardens.org and facebook.com/delawaregardens