I can never get enough of Mt. Cuba in the springtime. My recent visit coincided with the flowering of mountain laurels, lady slippers, fairy wands, pitcher plants, and Stewartias. But, there is so much beyond blooms that inspires at Mt. Cuba. Perhaps it’s the timing of my visits, but I often think of the garden more in terms of foliage than flowers. Or, perhaps it’s because I’m so drawn to the plants along the Woods Path, instead of the showier formal gardens.  I love the blue-green leaves of Fothergillas, the foliage of Pachysandra procumbens, the smooth and shiny leaves of Maianthemums. The silvery heart-shaped leaves of Viola walteri ’Silver Gem’ (a Mt. Cuba introduction) consistently makes me swoon.