Garden Glow has transformed weekend evenings in our Gardens into an enthralling world of light, color, and horticultural wonder, complete with SPARK, the captivating creation of Daan Roosegaarde of Studio Roosegaarde (Rotterdam, The Netherlands). Set in our Main Fountain Garden, SPARK features thousands of shimmering, biodegradable sparks that float through the night air, blurring the line between nature and technology in a way that is otherworldly and profoundly moving. We had the privilege of speaking with Roosegaarde to explore the inspiration, innovation, and emotion behind this unforgettable experience ... it’s one you don’t want to miss.
Inspired by the desire to reinvent traditional fireworks, SPARK encourages light to be seen and experienced in a new way. Composed of 100% biodegradable light sparks guided solely by the wind, the experience transforms the night sky into a living, breathing landscape. With the light sparks moving like fireflies, flocks of birds, and galaxies, SPARK reveals invisible air currents and invites collective wonder. While Roosegaarde created the experience, SPARK responds to the by-the-minute natural conditions in which its set. “Nature is the greatest designer,” says Roosegaarde. “Fireflies, bird murmurations, and star systems all move without hierarchy, yet with harmony. SPARK echoes this intelligence.”
Thousands of shimmering, biodegradable sparks fill the winter night sky, bringing wonder to the season. Photo by Daniel Traub.
Grounded in an art background with a deep interest in and love of nature, Roosegaarde’s journey began in fine arts; he then earned a master’s of architecture at The Berlage Institute in The Netherlands. Roosegaarde launched Studio Roosegaarde in 2007. “Studio Roosegaarde is not just a studio, but a dream factory where I, alongside a diverse team, began sculpting future landscapes,” says Roosegaarde.
When starting his studio, Roosegaarde was inspired to “combine art and responsibility with people who believed design could improve life, not just decorate it,” he continues. “Those influences remain, but today the urgency is greater. Climate change, energy transition, and social connection demand new answers and new imagination.” Roosegaarde is particularly interested in creating a dialogue between human connection and technology, translating abstract ideas into tangible experiences, and turning complex challenges into captivating installations.
Touring the world with stops in 15 countries, SPARK is a further exploration into this interaction between man-made endeavors and natural wonders, where our guests can witness how art and technology can exist beautifully among nature … and how they themselves exist within this interaction. “SPARK exists exactly at that intersection, where design amplifies nature instead of overpowering it,” says Roosegaarde.
“My fascination with the living world, the ephemeral glow of fireflies, the dance of jellyfish, these natural wonders were my first teachers, inspiring a lifelong exploration of the interplay between people, technology, and nature,” says Roosegaarde. Photo by Andrew Gormley.
Longwood is always a place of interaction, where guests can find themselves in nature, immerse themselves in horticultural beauty, and use their senses to learn more about the natural world. “Longwood Gardens is a place where nature is not a backdrop, but the main character,” says Roosegaarde. “That resonates deeply with me. Nature has always been my primary source of inspiration, long before I became an artist. As a child, I preferred playing outside, rather than being indoors. Longwood embodies landscape, seasons, and ecosystems—thriving for innovation. It’s so inspiring to celebrate in the heart of this precious nature in an eco-friendly way. No noise. No pollution. Just wonder.”
Longwood Director of Landscape Architecture and Program Design Erin Feeney, who worked closely with Roosegaarde on this experience, reflects on SPARK and how it resonates with the beauty of Longwood “We seek to create moments of collective awe in our floral displays, gardens, and landscapes,” says Feeney. “SPARK offers this too—an opportunity to experience wonder together with friends and family. Roosegaarde is an artist focused on protecting nature by building connections between people and our planet. He merges science with beauty, which is exactly what we do at Longwood.”
When it came to exploring where SPARK would create the most impact and wonder in our Gardens, we looked to the Main Fountain Garden. “Scale turns the experience into immersion,” says Roosegaarde. “SPARK doesn’t sit on a stage; it occupies the sky. When light moves all around you, the body becomes part of the experience. The Main Fountain Garden offers something rare: space, darkness, and openness. The landscape allows visitors to experience SPARK from every angle; looking up, across, and even downward.” “We’re always looking for ways to showcase the Gardens in a new light, and of course, that’s what SPARK does for our Main Fountain Garden,” shares Feeney. “It brings it to life in a new way during the winter months and provides an experience that is wholly unique and mesmerizing.”
Much like nature itself, where beauty can be cultivated and cared for to a certain degree, no SPARK moment can ever be repeated in the same way. “Unpredictability replaces control with discovery,” says Roosegaarde. “The wind and weather become a co-author in the experience. A soft breeze creates slow waves of movement in the sparks; stronger winds fragment and scatter them. Instead of fighting nature, SPARK collaborates with it. This keeps the audience present, aware, and connected to the now.”
“When was the last time we all looked up together and stood still in the moment?” says Roosegaarde. “Watching SPARK drift through the night sky, the experience invites people to reconnect: with nature, with each other, and with the sky above them. Photo by Daniel Traub.
“Light today is often consumed endlessly; streetlights burning all night, advertising billboards, the screen of your phone or TV,” says Roosegaarde. “SPARK reframes light as a language rather than a product.” This installation asks us to consider: how can we interact with light and technology in a way that truly inspires us and helps us to recognize its place in our lives and in conversation with the natural world?
“SPARK doesn’t instruct; it invites,” says Roosegaarde. “There is no button to press, no screen to scroll. People instinctively look up instead of down.” Photo by Daniel Traub.
SPARK encourages light to be seen, and experienced, in a new way that celebrates sustainable art. “If we can trigger curiosity for a better world, that’s how to activate people,” says Roosegaarde. “Ideas are what truly move society forward. Creativity allows us to reimagine systems, traditions, and futures. Without imagination, there is no progress—and without progress, there is no future.”
Roosegaarde’s vision for SPARK at Longwood? “I hope SPARK creates a pause,” he shares. “A moment of reflection that gently turns inward, followed by activation … I hope people feel wonder, calm, and inspiration.”
Editor’s note: There is still time to experience the immersive wonder of SPARK, as Garden Glow continues Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings from 5 to 10 pm (with SPARK on view 7-10 pm) through March 8. Garden Glow tickets are required include all-day Gardens Admission and re-entry during that day … so you can experience our Gardens by day and Garden Glow at night!
