Longwood Gardens

We love how the sunset transforms our Gardens. Even the lights of our Christmas display are touched by the fiery display of nature’s majesty. Photos by Hank Davis.

We are so grateful to share the beauty of the Gardens with you through our social media channels, and we couldn’t do that without the talent and dedication of our volunteer photographers. One name you may recognize from many of our photo captions is Becca Mathias. Becca is a professional photographer who has volunteered for Longwood for four years now, and she has amassed an absolutely stunning opus of imagery that we love sharing with you. In our latest blog post, Becca shares some of her trade secrets that can help you snap your best photos on your next visit. Read it here: https://longwoodgardens.org//2020-12-16/how-photograph-hol

New statewide regulations require us to temporarily close our Conservatory and indoor dining beginning Saturday, December 12. The good news is that our outdoor Gardens remain open, and there is plenty of Christmas cheer to enjoy and explore outside! We are committed to sharing the beauty of A Longwood Christmas, from our spectacular outdoor light display to our Open Air Theatre fountain shows and Garden Railway. If you’ve already purchased tickets, please check your email for... details on refunds. Ticket prices will be reduced beginning Saturday, December 12. No matter how you experience A Longwood Christmas, the spirit of the season will persist through the beauty that we share with you whether it is in person or through images on our website or throughout our social media channels. Visit our website for more details about experiencing A Longwood Christmas in person: https://longwoodgardens.org/visit/visiting-guidelines

Happy New Year, everyone!! We wish you peace, healing, and happiness in 2021. Cheers! Photo of our Open Air Theatre by Hank Davis.

Sweeping drifts of white flowers create a stunning counterpoint to the rich reds and greens of our Christmas display in our Conservatory this year. Our designers used white euphorbias, amaryllis, cyclamen, and other white flowers to draw the eye toward points of drama throughout the display. Scroll through to see some sparkling winter whites.

Our Conservatory echoes with the festive sounds of Galena Brass as we ring in the new year. Enjoy this mini-concert with some of our favorite songs including Joy to the World, Hark the Herald, and of course Auld Lang Syne.

As our Illuminated Fountain Performance season draws to a close, relive the dreamy spectacle with this recording of Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty. Did you have a chance to see an Illuminated Fountain Performance this year? Which one was your favorite?

It wouldn’t be a Longwood Christmas without poinsettias, and this year, we grew 4,400 of them including 14 different cultivars for our Christmas display. In her latest blog post, Floriculture Manager Betsy Beltz takes you on an inside tour of our poinsettia trials and really digs into the science and mythology around this beautiful plant. Read more at https://longwoodgardens.org//2020-12-09/poinsettia-evolvin

Happy news for a happy new year! We are very excited to receive the green light to reopen our Conservatory and indoor dining once again beginning Monday, January 4! In light of this news, we will also be extending A Longwood Christmas for an extra week, through Sunday, January 17. This year has certainly been a little different for all of us as we adapt to so many new normals. We are so happy to be able to sustain the season for an extra week of Christmas joy. Be sure to pur...chase your timed tickets and make Member reservations in advance at http://www.longwoodgardens.org Photo by Hank Davis.

Calling all middle school and high school teachers! We have two exciting learning challenges to give your students some fun, real world experience in the fields of science and art. Our first program, Unearth it! The Great Debate, is a collaborative research project that challenges middle schoolers to research and present on an important topic with the help of high school mentors. The winning team receives $500 to help put their ideas in place at their school. Our second progr...am, a STEAM Design Challenge, is designed for grades 6-12, and encourages students to combine their art and science skills to design a garden space for their school that provides habitat and attracts wildlife. Click through the images to read more about our programs or visit our website for more information: https://longwoodgardens.org/education

Our Silver Garden is transformed by the magic of Christmas. Scroll through to take a silvery saunter through our twinkling azure display. We hope it gives new meaning to the phrase blue Christmas.

Our online class Fall Trifecta: Arrangements that Inspire on November 9 shows you how to make three fabulous floral arrangements, just in time for the holidays! Instructor Melissa Palmer will lead you through how to use grasses and foraged flora to create a whimsical fairyland in miniature, including dragonflies made from natural material. Her second piece is a classic Williamsburg design destined to take center stage as your holiday table centerpiece. Palmer will also demonstrate how to make pomanders, a scent-imental gift idea for the season. Finally, she will guide you through the creation of a rustic leaf bowl. Get crafting and register today: https://longwoodgardens.org/events-pe//fall-trifecta-class

Ablaze with the warm hues of fall, thousands of chrysanthemums are on display throughout our Conservatory. Our Chrysanthemum Festival continues to be the one of the largest and oldest chrysanthemum displays in North America, with our celebrated Thousand Bloom Chrysanthemum at center stage. It has taken 17 months and 2,000 staff hours to nurture and train our Thousand Bloom Chrysanthemum into a perfect blooming dome. This ancient technique, known in Japan as Ozukuri, originated hundreds of years ago in Asia and is the most exacting and challenging of all Chrysanthemum training styles. Stop by our East Conservatory to behold the beauty of our meticulously grown exhibition mums, on view through November 15.

Have you had a chance to welcome the newest residents of our Idea Garden yet? An intricately detailed, life-sized bronze sculpture of two Nubian goats named Chloe and Lucinda have been delighting visitors since they came to their new home just three weeks ago. Chloe and Lucinda is the creation of celebrated Brandywine Valley artist André Harvey (19412018) and was generously gifted by the artist’s wife, Roberta Bobbie Harvey. In our latest blog post, Bobbie tells the story ...of love and inspiration that led to the creation of these two beautifully rendered friends who now enhance the beauty of the Gardens. As with any work of art, we ask that our more curious kids and guests respect Chloe and Lucinda’s personal space, and please refrain from climbing on the sculpture. Read about the story behind Chloe and Lucinda here: https://longwoodgardens.org/blog/2020-10-21/art-heart

Do you love snapping photos to capture the beauty of our Gardens? Learn how to level up your photography skills with an afternoon of exclusive access in the Gardens in our Photo Op Class, beginning Tuesday, October 27. Photograph the last blooms of the season in our sweeping landscapes, and spend time in our world-class Conservatory featuring Chrysanthemum Festival. Discover the rich hues of fall foliage in the late-season sun. The course concludes with you selecting two of your images from the day to be critiqued by your instructor during a live-stream chat. Register today: https://longwoodgardens.org//eve/photo-op-focus-fall-class

We know you all want to know the answer to that burning question. When exactly will peak fall color come to Longwood? (quick answer: in the next 4-7 days!) And you might also want to know which trees and shrubs put on the best display so you can impress your friends and family. Find out about the science behind fall color and get a glimpse of some of our favorite plants that put on the most impressive fall coats on our blog: https://longwoodgardens.org/blog/2020-10-14/fall-foliage

We are currently experiencing issues with our phone service provider, and our phones are down. We apologize for the inconvenience, however, online transactions are still available. For questions, please use email ([email protected]) or our live chat feature on our website (https://longwoodgardens.org/about/contact).

Trees are the backbone of our Gardens, and we love seeing our fall favorites emerge in full technicolor. Here’s a sneak peek of some fabulous autumn hues as we ramp up to peak fall color. What are some of your favorite trees to see in the fall? Photos by Scott Hummel.

If you’ve visited our Gardens lately, you’ve probably gathered that the term fall color applies to more than the leaves on the trees. Some of our favorite herbaceous plants are putting on an impressive finale throughout the Gardens. Asters, salvia, and goldenrod are among the real standouts creating a flush of fall color. Scroll through to get a glance of some of our fall flowers as they make their final flourish before the frost.

Happy Friday, everyone! And now for a little stroll through our Combination Garden to brighten your day, featuring asters, salvia, celosia, dahlias, hyssop, and more of our favorite fall flowers. Music by Bensound.com, Song: Sunny. Video by Carol Gross.

Tickets are now on sale for A Longwood Christmas, on view November 20January 10! From towering trees that touch the sky to acres of twinkling lights, the Longwood tradition continues. Stroll through beautiful plant palettes of winter whites to rich reds to the greenest of evergreens. Enjoy the sparkling cheer of a timeless Christmas morning scene in our Conservatory while more than 500,000 radiant lights illuminate the wide-open vistas throughout our Gardens. Get ready for ...some holiday cheer and get your tickets today: https://tickets.longwoodgardens.org/ Tickets are limited. Sell out likely. Photos by Daniel Traub and Larry Albee.

Sharpen your floral design skills with one of two upcoming online learning opportunities! Both classes begin October 26 and are taught by our expert instructors Jane Godshalk and Cres Motzi. Our Floral Design Basics provides the foundational skills you need to start creating fabulous floral arrangements. With six design modules that can be completed at your leisure, learn how to select and condition flowers, use tools and mechanics, and employ sustainable design strategies ...to create beautiful arrangements. Delve into various floral design styles through a series of informative online presentations and video tutorials. If you are beginning your journey toward a Certificate of Merit in Floral Design, or you just want to learn more techniques, our other online course offering is a Virtual Certificate Workshop, Introduction to Floral Design I. Beginning with a virtual, live orientation class on October 26, you will receive materials and flowers delivered to your home to make the arrangements demonstrated in the online class, and receive personalized feedback on your designs. Plus a highly coveted Longwood apron! Find out more about both of our exciting floral design online courses here: https://longwoodgardens.org/events-perform/classes-lectures Photo by Matthew Ross.

Ever wonder what dentate margin means? Can you use the word obovate in a sentence? Expand your horticultural vocabulary and improve your plant identification skills through a study of leaves, stems, flowers, and fruits in our 6-week online course beginning October 27. Plant Science: Understanding Plants will give you an in-depth look at the methods (morphology) and terminology (nomenclature) used to describe plants throughout the seasons. Gain an understanding of the botanical system of plant names and how the plant kingdom is organized. All the important groundwork for anyone hoping to become a better gardener! Register here: https://longwoodgardens.org//plant-science-understanding-p Photo by Hank Davis.