Inside Mount Cuba Center, a tranquil escape full of wildlife and native plants in Delaware

Tucked away in Hockessin, Delaware, Mount Cuba Center has become one of the state's hidden gems, offering visitors a peaceful escape filled with colorful gardens, wooded trails and thriving wildlife.

Open to the public since 2013, the botanical garden occupies the former home of Lammot du Pont Copeland. He and his wife, Pamela Cunningham Copeland, believed that exposing people to the beauty of native plants would inspire them to appreciate and protect natural habitats.

"Sometimes people would think of native plants being a little bit more boring and not that showy, but we really are able to show how beautiful and vibrant these native plants can be," Cody Caporaso, senior horticulturist at Mount Cuba Center, said.

The 1,000-acre property includes formal and naturalistic gardens, with about half of the land devoted to wooded walking trails. Visitors can also relax beside tranquil ponds and spot butterflies, birds, and other wildlife along the way.

"You're not going to be in the line of people standing behind folks taking pictures," Tim Parrott, the center's director of marketing and engagement, said. "You really can find quiet spaces within the garden to find respite."

A must-see is the trial garden, where horticulturists evaluate native plant species to see which varieties thrive with minimal care. Over three to five years, plants are grown with little human intervention — no watering, mulching, or fertilizing — to identify the species that perform best while supporting pollinators and local ecosystems.

"One of the benefits of the trial garden is that we're able to help increase the diversity of native plant species in the nursery trade and thereby, also increase the diversity of native plants in the home garden," educator Jonathan Finn said.

Families can take a break inside the historic Copeland House, where visitors can read books, play games or simply cool off before heading back into the gardens.

In addition to guided tours, Mount Cuba Center offers gardening classes, educational programs and seasonal events throughout the year.

One of those events, Twilight on the Terrace, takes place Friday, Aug. 7, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Guests can picnic on the lawn in front of the Copeland House while enjoying live music.

General admission to the gardens is $20 for adults and $10 for children ages 6 to 17. Children 5 and under are free.