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![black and white image of a orchid](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_masonry_sm/public/blog_post_images/79605.jpg?h=3a7b321d&itok=HXjhMJLR)
The Gift of Orchids at Longwood Gardens
The tradition of orchids at Longwood Gardens began with a gift. In 1922, twelve Cattleya orchids were included in a gift of greenhouse plants from Mrs. Dimmick of Scranton, Pennsylvania to Mrs. Alice B. du Pont. It might have ended there, as one-time gifts sometimes do. These first orchids did not fare well, due to the grower’s limited knowledge of their needs and habits.
![rows of multicolored chrysanthemums with black tags stating the plant names](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_masonry_sm/public/2022-03/58226-Garden-Highlights-Davis-Harold.jpg?itok=KX9OqYfC)
100 Flowers: 1 Plant
One hundred different chrysanthemum flowers grafted onto one plant? What an extraordinary thought! Our mum team would love to take credit for this great idea; however, this horticulture art form has surprisingly been around for hundreds of years in China and Japan. Today you can find it on display in only two places worldwide, and Longwood Gardens is proud to be one of them.
![large yellow elm tree outside the exit of Longwood Gardens in the cow lot](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_masonry_sm/public/wysiwyg/46277_cow-lot-_albee_-larry.jpg?h=c1a61151&itok=Wsq10lSa)
Our American Elm: A Survivor's Story
The American Elm was once a staple on the streets of America until Dutch elm disease was introduced in the 1930s. Today, small groups of elm trees can still be found in the woods or on the side of the road, but it is rare to find large specimens along streets or in landscapes. The American elm on the Cow Lot at Longwood Gardens is the only straight species of American elm remaining in the Gardens. Standing just outside the Visitor Center, this tree provides a majestic welcome to our guests, and gives everyone a taste of what's to come as they begin their way through the Gardens.
![a dome of chrysanthemums with white, yellow, and purple flowers](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_masonry_sm/public/2022-03/63136_Chrysanthemum%20Festival_Albee_%20Larry.jpg?itok=Dd-SbDkF)
The Art of Grafting Chrysanthemums
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.
![long, thin flower spike is covered in small, white flowers](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_masonry_sm/public/2022-02/568733_Angelonia%20angustifolia%20_Cart%20White_%20_Carita_.jpg?h=e18805f2&itok=4wr-_cLi)
Top 10 Plants for Night Gardens
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?
![a round fountain surrounded by walls with thick, green vegetation](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_masonry_sm/public/2022-04/32521-East-Plaza-Opening-Albee-Larry.jpg?itok=z8dxa56g)
The Unsung (and Unseen) Heroes of our Green Wall
It’s not a matter of “if” the Green Wall will get pests; it’s a matter of “when.” Longwood’s Integrated Pest Management (IPM) staff battles these pests with a non-chemical approach called biological control.
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Giants Among Us
Longwood Gardens has so much to offer in the way of trees. Thanks to Pierre du Pont, we have this beautiful garden and its amazing old trees. Pierre bought the land for exactly that reason: to save a group of trees. The trees that he saved are incredible specimens, but I am here to tell you about the giants living among us.
![grouping of large trees with pink flowers](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_masonry_sm/public/2022-04/13197_Trees%20in%20Bloom_Albee_%20Larry.jpg?itok=Y-tt_MAQ)
Proud to be Beautiful
“The longer I live the more beautiful life becomes. If you foolishly ignore beauty, you will soon find yourself without it. Your life will be impoverished. But if you invest in beauty, it will remain with you all the days of your life.” (Franklin Lloyd Wright)
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Longwood Launches New ‘Fireworks’
I am excited to introduce to you a completely new type of Fireworks at Longwood Gardens—Clivia miniata ‘Longwood Fireworks’!
![tall and red mums](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_masonry_sm/public/2022-03/single-stem-blog-021_21.jpg?itok=_qQ4-ILB)
One Singular Sensation
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.
![thousand bloom mum in the distance with trees and water surrounding it](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_masonry_sm/public/2022-03/thousbloom2011_1.jpg?itok=A5mL63JT)
No Ordinary Mum
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!
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The Newest Member of the Royal Family
In January 2010, we posted a blog about our “King of the Conservatory,” Encephalartos woodii. The Encephalartos is the most prized plant in Longwood’s Conservatory since it is extinct in its native environment of South Africa.
![close up image of a blue poppy flower in full bloom](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_masonry_sm/public/blog_post_images/bpblog1_0.jpg?itok=OTl81DFc)
A True Blue Spectacle
The first Himalayan blue-poppies (Meconopis ‘Lingholm’) of the season went on display at Longwood Gardens just before the opening of the Philadelphia Flower Show. Unlike last year when some plants went to Philadelphia, this time the blue-poppies can be seen only here at Longwood.
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Introducing The New East Conservatory Plaza
Starting Saturday, October 9, 2010, you will be able to experience an exciting, new area of the Gardens: The East Conservatory Plaza! The East Conservatory Plaza has been in the making for over 3 years. From the beginning, we worked with the renowned, British landscape architect Kim Wilkie.
![a wall filled with green ferns with white door ways](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_masonry_sm/public/2022-05/358913_-Chimes-Issue-282.jpg?itok=EbBzlyRj)
It’s Not Always Easy Being Green: Preparing Longwood’s New Green Wall
Longwood often hunts the globe for new or extraordinary plants to conserve and showcase in the Gardens. Recently, I went on a different sort of expedition—to inspect the plants for Longwood’s new East Conservatory Plaza green wall. My mission was to identify any potential pests or diseases that could threaten the new display.
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How Did Our Garden Grow?
If you haven't visited the Student Exhibition Garden, time is running out! The gardens will be dismantled in October to make way for the PG class of 2011's gardens next spring. To find out more about the Student Exhibition Gardens, visit Longwood's website at www.longwoodgardens.org.
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The Art of Cascade Chrysanthemums at Longwood Gardens
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.
![waterlilies with tall grass and yellow cannas in background](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_masonry_sm/public/2022-03/5481_Waterlily%20Display_%20summer%20_Albee_%20Larry.jpg?itok=iODwU_s2)
"Canna" We Save the Canna???
Our cannas are being threatened! Plants all around the world are being infected by viruses that can affect the beauty of the plants and can eventually lead to death. Unchecked, this could lead to the end of cannas. Do I have your attention? Well, don’t panic because here at Longwood we have some projects underway that will hopefully give new life to the beautiful canna!
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Coming Soon to Longwood - The Student Exhibition Garden
This year, Professional Gardener (PG) students broke new ground—literally and figuratively—as designers and creators of the newest garden display at Longwood: The Student Exhibition Garden.
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A Tale of Tall Trees
What is a champion tree? For over seventy years the Pennsylvania Forestry Association has located and inventoried the largest specimen of each species that grows in Pennsylvania. To be a champion, a tree must be larger than all of the other reported trees of the same species.