Two awesome things happened in the past week. We had our first couple of days of warm sunshine (followed by a blustery cold spell) and the Cape Gazette published its Spring 2026 Home & Garden Guide. It’s full of information that will motivate you to get outside and make some magic with your yard, with two features that are especially relevant this month: Making plans to check out the Lewes Tulip Celebration April 1st through 20th in Lewes and registering for the Lewes Garden Tour on June 20 and choosing the right plants for your own garden.
The Lewes Tulip celebration is rooted in the region’s Dutch heritage, which is also spotlighted through the Zwaanendael Museum on Kings Highway. Thanks to the volunteers of Lewes in Bloom, the planting – and replanting – of 30,000 colorful flowers is already underway. While tulips are perennials that, with care, come back every year, the organization digs some bulbs up and makes them available through an April 3rd Tulip sale, and also plants more each year. There are also guided tours focusing on the town’s history and special beauty spots on April 11th and 12th at 10:30, 12:30 and 2:30. The cost for the tour is $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under. Get the details here!
While it doesn’t happen until Saturday, June 20th, you should sign up soon for the Lewes Garden Tour because it’s one of the town’s most popular events. It takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and leads you through some of the most beautiful and unique gardens in the area. Tickets for the tour are $30 to $35 dollars. Learn more by clicking here.
When you’re ready to create your own garden oasis, check out Landscaping with Delaware Native Plants on page 10 of the Home & Garden Guide. It encourages people to landscape with these plants because they’ve evolved and endured to do well in our climate and with typical soil conditions. Here are some recommendations:
✻ Native shrubs that tend to do well are inkberry holly, bayberry and hydrangea. Native trees that are beautiful and hearty are red maple, sweetbay magnolia, and crepe myrtles.
✻ Native perennials that bring months of color are black-eyed Susans, purple cone flowers and coreopsis. Native grasses such as switchgrass and little bluestorm are also robust and well-suited to add extra interest to your garden.
✻ Native annuals that thrive here are impatiens, vincas, coleus, pachysandra and begonias.
The article also encourages gardeners to add compost to planting beds to improve moisture retention and soil health and mulch to regulate soil temperature, suppress weeds and conserve water. Happy gardening!