The Japanese art of bonsai originated in China as the practice known as penjing. Early in Chinese history, trees and other plants were collected from the wild and grown in containers. The practice moved to Japan many centuries ago through social and economic interaction with China. Over the years, both countries developed various techniques that we continue to use in creating bonsai today. The Japanese word bonsai translates to "tree in a shallow pot." Though some plants in our collection date back to the early 1900s, bonsai were not part of our displays during the time of our founder, Pierre S. du Pont. In 1959, five years after Pierre’s death, renowned bonsai artist Yuji Yoshimura presented a class in our Continuing Education program. It was so well received that our staff members decided we should have some bonsai of our own.

TechniCulture, hosted by the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, was held April 17 at the Chemical Heritage Foundation. Longwood Gardens was a great fit to present at this year’s TechniCulture, since innovation is a key part of our legacy and continues to be integral to our Gardens’ future.

After a long winter, we’re finally seeing the spectacular colors of tulips throughout the Gardens. With color blocked borders of approximately 100,000 tulips every year, the display on the Flower Garden Walk is always an anticipated sight.

This year, we’ve brought a unique and rare Phalaenopsis Sogo Yukidian ‘V3’ hybrid to Orchid Extravaganza, which we believe is being displayed for the first time in a US public garden. The ‘V3’ moth orchids featured on the center walk of our Orangery have unusually long flower spikes with as many as 18 open flowers on a single spike (with more buds yet to open)! Photo by Trilbey Smith.

If you’ve visited the Gardens recently, you know that Longwood has taken flight this season with a stunning bird-inspired holiday display. What you may not know is that this area of Pennsylvania has a rich history in the study of ornithology. Illustration of American sparrow hawk and field sparrow, drawn from nature by A. Wilson, engraved by A. Lawson. From American Ornithology.

This fall, be sure to explore our Bonsai Display, where some of the best surprises of Chrysanthemum Festival come in small packages. Anemone Chrysanthemum x morifulium ‘Kotoi No Kaori’, photo by William Hill.

This year, 230,000 chrysanthemum blooms fill our 4-acre Conservatory in forms of cascades, shields, spirals, pagodas and of course, our most impressive Thousand Bloom Mum yet, featuring 1,515 blooms.

Holidays celebrate tradition. Gifts—symbols of good will, of gratitude, of joy—are a part of that tradition. Many of our best-loved holidays take place in fall and winter, as we gather to share the fruits of our harvest, the company of family and friends, and our hopes for the coming year. Come join us for A Longwood Christmas, where the gift and tradition of fruit is the centerpiece of our celebration.

In the remote flood plains of South America, a giant water lily blooms, attracts pollinator beetles, produces fruit and seed, and thus carries on through time. The discovery of Victoria regia, its world-wide cultivation, and the man-made works of beauty it inspired are the subjects of a new exhibit at Longwood Gardens entitled Secrets of Victoria: Water Lily Queen.

Our aspiration at Longwood Gardens is to create a place where our guests can take a deep breath and leave behind the stresses of our 21st century lives. This winter at Longwood, your escape is Orchid Extravaganza—a world filled with thousands of flowering orchids.

Ever wonder what is going on in the greenhouses at this time of the year? While you are enjoying the beautiful summer display, Longwood's growers are already getting ready for fall! One of our biggest projects at this time of year is to complete the grafting process that allows us to grow the large specialty chrysanthemums that will be on display during our Chrysanthemum Festival.

When you hear the word “garden,” chances are you think of green plants and brightly colored flowers blooming under a bright sun. But did you know that there’s such a thing as a night garden, too—a garden is designed to thrill the senses when the sun has gone down, the air is cool and the bustle of the day has diminished?

Field of Light at Longwood Gardens Longwood Gardens can be a paradise for photographers, with acres of flowers in bloom, interesting architectural details around every corner, and stunning natural areas. This summer, with the opening of Light: Installations by Bruce Munro, our guests have yet another fascinating subject for their images. However, nighttime photography poses a unique set of challenges, and requires a much different approach than taking pictures during the day.

A personal look at the ideas, inspiration and down-in-the-dirt hard work that goes into producing the horticultural displays for one of the premier gardens in the US.

The tall, single stemmed chrysanthemums you see in the Conservatory here at Longwood Gardens are quite different than the mounded shrubs loaded with small flowers that you find at your local garden center. These are a specialty florist type, the product of hundreds of years of breeding to reach those stately heights and flower size and are not winter hardy for us in Southeast Pennsylvania.

Do you hear the word chrysanthemum and picture those simple household flowers from the local garden shop? At Longwood Gardens, we take the ordinary mum and make it extraordinary, turning it into a work of art—the Thousand Bloom Chrysanthemum!

Historically, the students in Longwood's Professional Gardener Program were given plots to design and maintain at their residences, so that they could be responsible for every aspect of garden design--from concept through to implementation. But since last summer, the students have been creating new, unique gardens near the Idea Garden for Longwood's visitors to enjoy.

Every year, Christmas comes early at Longwood Gardens as we prepare for our largest annual display!

Christmas at Longwood Gardens: What a wonderful time of year!

Cascade chrysanthemums have long been at the heart of Longwood Gardens' annual Chrysanthemum Festival. Longwood grows specialty mums (Chrysanthemum x moriflorum) that originated in China and Japan and are selected for their ability to create beautiful and lasting forms. Over the years, Longwood's amazing show of form and color has been continually modified and refined. Guests marvel at the captivating shapes and often ask us how we create these wonderful pieces of horticulture. The following is meant to highlight a little behind-the-scenes action and hint at some of the spectacular forms you will see this November in our Conservatory.