The Dunham Garden is a lush, flourishing shade garden designed with a primarily Asiatic plant palette. Located adjacent to the south entrance of Townsend Hall, the garden showcases canopy trees, flowering shrubs, and an array of groundcovers.
Towering, majestic Japanese Cryptomeria (Cryptomeria japonica) provide a visual barrier around the garden’s perimeter and shelter it from winds. Ribbons of different groundcovers nestled under the shrub layer illustrate plants that will tolerate dense shade. In spring, magnolias burst into flower, creating a ceiling of fragrant pink and white petals. An immense Willow Oak (Quercus phellos) provides shade to a paved courtyard.
History
The Dunham Garden was named in honor of Dr. Charles W. Dunham, who taught at the University from 1954 to 1984 and co-founded UDBG with Dr. Richard W. Lighty.
Designed by students from several Landscape Architecture classes and former UD Professor Gary Smith, the plantings include hollies and magnolias, two of Dr. Dunham’s favorite plants. The donations from various nurseries for this garden honor Dr. Dunham’s 30-year involvement in plant societies, collaboration with the nursery industry, and his role as an educator.
Dr. Dunham passed away peacefully on July 1, 2021, in Bethesda, Maryland. He was 99.
