Chimes Tower District

The Chimes Tower District provides guests with a thrilling and varied garden experience, including a stunning, four-season hillside of rare, expertly edited plants; a historic bell tower anchored on a 50-foot waterfall; sweeping lawns carpeted in early spring bulbs, and a celebrated collection of award-winning trees—all within view of our majestic Main Fountain Garden.

About This District

Originally designed as an arresting backdrop for the Main Fountain Garden, the Chimes Tower District is now a series of standout gardens and water features that warrant more than just a passing glance. The Hillside Garden features an enviable roster of rare and unique plants, thriving harmoniously throughout the sun-dappled slopes. At the crest of the hill, Oak and Conifer Knoll boasts an array of celebrated tree specimens, with some planted during founder Pierre S. du Pont’s time. The Eye of Water, Pear-Shaped Basin, and Waterfall—all originally part of the gravity-fed pump and reservoir system that once serviced the Main Fountain Garden—are three unique, and interconnected destinations for your exploration.

Gardens in this District

Hillside Garden

Hillside Garden

Dappled sun flirts with open vistas and shady, intimate perspectives as you wander the paths past beds brimming with a who’s who of rare and unique plants from around the world, set to the occasional tones of the historic Chimes Tower.
Oak and Conifer Knoll

Oak and Conifer Knoll

Towering, century-old trees and sun-dappled vistas await in this living gallery of champion specimens with four seasons of stunning highlights. In the early spring, sweeps of colorful geophytes bloom to create a stunning tapestry.

District Highlights

A large stone Chimes Tower covered in green vines pops up amid green trees behind a small pond

Small yellow flower bloom up in green grass in front of small purple flowers

Water flows out of the middle of a circular blue ledge in a pool of water

Looking straight up at a blooming, flowering, pink tree

Flowering pink and white trees are seen among green grass

What’s in Bloom

Holly Osmanthus

Osmanthus heterophyllus ′Gulftide′

Osmanthus heterophyllus is a broadleaf, evergreen shrub, indigenous to Korea, Taiwan and Japan, with glossy, deep green leaves with spines that resemble hollies. The little white blossoms that appear in October and November fill the garden with fragrance. ‘Gulftide’ is a selection that grows to 5 feet tall and 3 feet across. It thrives in either sun or partial shade, and any type of soil, even dense clay. Holly osmanthus is not eaten by deer and has no serious pests or diseases and can be cultivated as an individual specimen, combined with other shrubs, or shaped into a lovely hedge.
Winterberry Holly

Ilex verticillata 'Winter Red'

Winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata) is a deciduous holly native to eastern North America, thriving in wetlands and moist woodland edges. Unlike most hollies, it drops its leaves in winter, leaving behind bright red berries that stand out against bare branches. The berries persist into winter, providing an important cold-season food source for birds like cedar waxwings and robins. Beyond its wildlife value, the berry-laden branches make a striking addition to Christmas displays, adding natural color and festive charm when most plants have gone dormant.