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Delaware Botanic Gardens holds grand opening dinner event

Facility opens to the public 9 a.m., Monday, Sept. 16
The Delaware Botanic Gardens held its Grand Opening Dinner Party Sept. 12. Enjoying the meadow are (l-r) Ferenc Kiss, Barbara Katz and Howard Katz. CHRIS FLOOD PHOTOS
Chris Flood
September 13, 2019

Story Location:
30220 Piney Neck Rd
Dagsboro, DE 19939
United States

The Delaware Botanic Gardens started a week-long grand opening celebration with a memorable dinner party Sept. 12.

Just as the night’s festivities were about to begin – outdoors – a strong storm system rolled through and drenched everything. The rain brought everyone in under the tent, but it didn’t dampen the mood.

It was a very gratifying night, said Delaware Botanical Gardens President Raymond Sander on the morning after the dinner, Sept. 13. Sander had been walking the DBG grounds with famed Dutch garden designer and author Piet Oudolf one last time before he left. Oudolf’s work includes the renowned High Line gardens in New York City, and he designed the DBG Meadow Garden, which includes nearly 50,000 plants and grasses.

During the dinner, Oudolf said it had been a while since he had seen the garden, because while he designs them, it’s up to the local gardeners to keep them up and running. He said, in the end, he was impressed with how the meadow looked.

Guests were treated to food from SoDel Concepts, music from Vincent Varrassi, wines from Banks Wines & Spirits, and beer from Dogfish Head Brewery.

In addition to the celebration, the event served as a fundraiser. With a $75,000 matching grant included, the event raised $154,000.

“The outpouring of love and attention was beautiful,” said Sander.

The Delaware Botanic Gardens will be open to the public beginning Monday, Sept. 16, from 9 a.m. to noon. Those will also be the hours for Tuesday and Wednesday, Sept. 17 and 18.

The gardens’ grand opening event will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 19, with a ribbon cutting at 1 p.m. Starting Wednesday, Sept. 25, the botanic gardens will be open from 9 a.m. to noon, Wednesday through Friday.

Admission to the botanic gardens is free for members, $15 for adults, $12 for seniors (65+), $10 for children ages 6 to 17, and free for children under 6.

For more information on the Delaware Botanic Gardens, 30220 Piney Neck Road, Dagsboro, go to www.delawaregardens.org. Memberships – individual, dual, family or senior – can be purchased on the website.

The Delaware Botanic Gardens held its Grand Opening Dinner Party Sept. 12. Enjoying the meadow are (l-r) Ferenc Kiss, Barbara Katz and Howard Katz. CHRIS FLOOD PHOTOS
Former Delaware First Lady Carla Markell shows off a picture of the Meadow Garden presented to her by Delaware Botanic Gardens President Ray Sander and Executive Director Sheryl Swed. Shown are (l-r) Sander, Swed, Carla Markell and former Gov. Jack Markell.
From the safety of a tent in a downpour, famed Dutch gardener Piet Oudolf and a friend look out over the meadow he designed for the Delaware Botanic Gardens.
Delaware Botanic Gardens President Ray Sander and Executive Director Sheryl Swed, a husband-and-wife team, thanked everyone who made the five-year development process possible.
Garden designer Piet Oudolf takes a picture to remember the moment.
It’s faint, but a rainbow did appear after the storm passed.
This dock overlooks the inland dunes garden.
Zach McCarthy of Coastal Tented Events got soaked putting the tarps down, but the tent stayed up, so he was the man of the hour.
Standing near the head table, Allen Summers takes a picture of the downpour.
Folks were damp, but in good spirits at the dinner celebrating the gardens’ opening.
Despite the rain, the food was hot, and the dinner raised $154,000 including a $75,000 matching grant.
The event was catered by SoDel Concepts, whose waitstaff line up while kitchen staff plate the food.
The head tables were nicely arranged for visibility.

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Chris Flood has been working for the Cape Gazette since early 2014. He currently covers Rehoboth Beach and Henlopen Acres, but has also covered Dewey Beach and the state government. He covers environmental stories, business stories and random stories on subjects he finds interesting, and he also writes a column called Choppin’ Wood that runs every other week. Additionally, Flood moonlights as the company’s circulation manager, which primarily means fixing boxes that are jammed with coins during daylight hours, but sometimes means delivering papers in the middle of the night. He’s a graduate of the University of Maine and the Landing School of Boat Building & Design.

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