Pierre Dupont's Green Pearls


Alice Dupont, after receiving a pearl necklace for her birthday from her wealthy husband Pierre, told him that she would rather have a string of trees planted instead. Pierre happily complied and planted a 10-mile long allee of Oak, Sycamore and Elm trees along the newly built Route 52 which connected their estate, Longwood, with the city of Wilmington. From that day forward, Alice referred to those trees as “my pearls.”

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could all request that a green 'pearl' or two be planted for our birthday?
(This photo is not the original planting - just a nice pic of how wonderful trees look in a row along a road...)


info from Longwood Garden's Archivist Sandy and Longwood Fellow and Historian Colvin

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