Welcome to the Online Tour of Woodburn's Gardens and Grounds

Hall House

At the end of the brick walkway, you will see Hall House, the Governor's Guest House. This house was built in 1870 by Thomas and Molly Wilson. It was named in honor of Governor John Wood Hall, who served as Delaware's Governor from 1879-1883. His official state portrait hangs over the fireplace in the front parlor of this home. The state purchased this home in 1983.

Built in the Eastern stick style with gingerbread details, Hall House was restored to its original colors inside and out. This home includes a front parlor, back parlor, dining room and kitchen on the first floor. The second and third floors contain seven bedrooms decorated in the style of the original time period. This home is not open for tours, except on special occasions. Down the brick walkway toward Woodburn, make a left and travel up the driveway. In the circle directly in front of you, there is a Peach tree (Prunus persica), which Governor and Mrs. Pierre S. du Pont presented and planted in step with tradition. During the 1870s, Delaware was known as the Peach State because the First State was a leading producer of peaches. The peach blossom is the official state flower.

Snow Fountain Cherry

Directly behind Hall House, you will find the Snow Fountain cherry tree (Prunus subhirtella var. pendula 'Snow Fountain'), which Governor Russell W. Peterson planted after leaving the home. This tree is remarkably beautiful when it flowers in the spring.

Behind the Peach tree, you will see the entrance to Woodburn's formal gardens. Formal plantings of boxwood in a parterre manner are the gardens most prominent feature. This landscape fashion gained popularity during post-Renaissance England, where plantings of boxwood framed flower beds. In this way, visitors enjoy the outline of the garden throughout the seasons, even when the flower beds are empty.

Reflective Pool

The parterre at Woodburn was severely overgrown and without symmetry when the state purchased the home in 1965. However, careful pruning revealed its formal pattern, and today, flowers fill the layout of rectangles and squares with a variety of colors during the growing seasons.

A reflective pool adds a touch of tranquility to the garden while serving as its focal point. Just beyond the pool, you will find a special planting of yews. Their positioning and pruning creates the illusion of a much larger garden by drawing the eye toward an open field and out to the St. Jones River.

Giant Sequoia

To the left of the boxwood plantings and the reflective pool, you will find a Giant sequoia evergreen (Sequoiadendron giganteum), which Governor Sherman Tribbitt planted on June 1, 1974 as part of Delaware's Bicentennial celebration. Former President Ronald Reagan, who served as Governor of California, sent one of these Liberty Trees to each of the original thirteen colonies during his governorship.

Behind the Giant sequoia is a Pink weeping cherry tree (Prunus subhirtella var. pendula 'Rosea'), which Governor and Mrs. Dale Wolf presented as their contribution to Woodburn's gardens.

Tulip Poplar

As you walk up the south lawn, you can enjoy other plantings as you proceed to a Tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) Governor Michael Castle planted as part of the tree planting tradition. This tree was actually a seedling taken from a tree that was planted by George Washington at Mount Vernon in Virginia.

To the left of the Tulip poplar, at the southwest corner of the property, stands a Dawn redwood tree (Metasequoia glyptostroboides). This tree was planted in the memory of Governor and Mrs. Charles Terry, the first Governor and first lady to live at Woodburn after it was purchased by the state. This tree appears, in the spring and summer months, to be an evergreen with needle-like leaves, but it loses its leaves in the fall. Several American Hollies are also in this section of the lawn.

There are many other trees and bushes on the property, which are native to Delaware. These include Canadian hemlock, Eastern red cedar, Butternut, Black walnut, American elm, Sugar maple, Box elder, Flowering dogwood, Mulberry and Black cherry. The grounds of the estate remain a constant source of pleasure for its visitors.