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![image of a Longwood crew member walking away from a cleared forest fire area](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_masonry_sm/public/blog_post_images/fire-image.jpg?h=56650720&itok=pybRFWQP)
Fighting Fire in the Face of a Pandemic
As Longwood’s Land Stewardship Operations Manager, a Chester County forest fire warden and first responder, and a wildland firefighter, it’s my absolute honor to protect the landscape.
![a large field with tall, golden wild grasses and rolling hills in the background](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_masonry_sm/public/blog_post_images/482551_meadow-garden_image.jpg?itok=WF2uVyXJ)
A Meadow is a Moment in Time
A meadow is a moment in time, like the shape of a cloud or cherry blossoms in the spring. A meadow is ephemeral.
![chenille plant's pink cascading flower clusters](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_masonry_sm/public/blog_post_images/chenile-image.jpg?itok=M4ZTlhbx)
A Chenille Plant Journey
Chenille plant is native to tropical Papua New Guinea, and according to our plant records it has been grown at Longwood since at least 1957.
![vegetable plant getting cut from stem](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_masonry_sm/public/blog_post_images/seeds-image.jpg?h=b0154a96&itok=EAEoW0_z)
Getting Started with Seed Saving
Getting started with seed saving can be easy if you select good beginner crops and learn some basics about plant breeding.
![a large hanging fern basket suspends from the ceiling of a greenhouse](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_masonry_sm/public/blog_post_images/fern-image.jpg?h=06545195&itok=cGMwwAFW)
A Very Lucky Rabbit’s-Foot
This hard-to-miss green giant hangs in the center of the Tropical Terrace and measures a sprawling 9.5 feet in diameter.
![a silver sage plant planted in a bed of brown mulch](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_masonry_sm/public/2022-03/352627_Trial_Garden_Zwiebel_%20Fred%20_Longwood_Volunteer_Photographer.jpg?itok=gKVcc-aP)
Getting to Know Plants by Name
Names, in general, allow us to make an association with an object, living or not, and are a basic facet of our everyday life. In the world of biology, living things have scientific names … and plants are no exception.
![a pathway lined with lush summer grasses](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_masonry_sm/public/blog_post_images/combination-image.jpg?h=1cb6c2ad&itok=I9_rJzkv)
Our New Combination Garden
We have transformed part of the Idea Garden into our new Combination Garden, an intimate and exuberant mix of woody, herbaceous, and seasonal plants, all layered into one dynamic space just next to our Main Fountain Garden.
![a yellow and black striped caterpillar crawling up the stem of a wild flower](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_masonry_sm/public/blog_post_images/native-plants-image.jpg?h=00a3e9bf&itok=aX4ovVRp)
The Season (and Reason) for Native Plants
Flowers of countless garden favorites abound this time of year and among them are several of our most cherished, useful, unusual, and rare native plants.
![a wall of fountains that glow colors of green, blue, purple, and pink](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_masonry_sm/public/blog_post_images/fountains-image.jpg?h=40bf665e&itok=HMQEvB4S)
A Musical Score for a Time of Hope
The voices of my colleagues are really needed more than ever. And with technology, we can have this much needed contact and support.
![Patio surrounded by flower beds and filled with container plantings with mostly green textured plants and some small purple blooms](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_masonry_sm/public/blog_post_images/studio-image.jpg?h=804078a2&itok=HA4a8vXl)
Lessons from the Studio Garden
This morning, while tending a Pelargonium in the Studio Garden and looking around the entire space, I was reminded of the basic human need for nurturing something like plants … and the simple pleasure that comes with it.
![A box of victoria seeds inside a cardboard box with packing peanuts](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_masonry_sm/public/2022-03/454671_Victoria%20Seed%20Packing%20and%20Shipping_Gross_%20Carol.jpg?h=04704bb3&itok=B9cV7FDh)
Where in the World is Victoria?
Our most far-reaching educational experiences start with a seed sent to gardens around the world … resulting in not only the sharing of seed that is not readily available commercially, but allowing for even more public garden visitors worldwide to experience the beauty of Victoria.
![landscape of knoll trees with a bench in spring](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_masonry_sm/public/blog_post_images/knoll-image.jpg?itok=ZAeq8uhb)
Glorious Groves and Glades: Oak and Conifer Knoll
Towering, century-old trees, winding pathways, and hidden benches await guests any time of year in Oak and Conifer Knoll. It is an all-season destination with a rich history and serene beauty.
![](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_masonry_sm/public/blog_post_images/titan-image.jpg?itok=gsOR4GTO)
The Scent-sational Story of Sprout
Our Conservatory’s Tropical Terrace is home to one of the rare wonders of the botanical world … and this rock star plant has just completed the performance of a lifetime.
![stem of green leafy vegetable in mulch](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_masonry_sm/public/blog_post_images/veg-image.jpg?itok=F6eherQF)
Midsummer is for Sowing
This month, don’t forget about fall crops, or you will miss out on a bounty of greens, root vegetables, squashes, and more—many of which are of higher quality in cool fall weather and can store through the winter.
![garden path on a misty day](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_masonry_sm/public/blog_post_images/theatre-image_0.jpg?itok=h3eBHaIO)
The Drama and Appeal of Our Theatre Garden
Designed by noted landscape architect Thomas Church, the Theatre Garden features drought-tolerant plants that can survive tough conditions … and gives a textural, star-studded performance each year during the summer’s heat and bright sunlight.
![a canvas of a painted yellow lily and paint supplies placed on a patch of grass](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_masonry_sm/public/blog_post_images/sketch-image.jpg?itok=gMg9vzEC)
Getting Started with Field Sketching
Deeply inspired by science and nature, artist Natalya Zahn—who created the more than 50 pieces of art that appear throughout our Meadow Garden—shares expert field sketching tips.
![plants in black containers on a bed of soil](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_masonry_sm/public/2022-04/467319-COVID-19-Shutdown-Ross-Matthew.jpg?itok=t-FoDLpg)
Our Evolving Rose Garden
When you return to visit us again, we hope you’ll make the Rose Garden one of your first stops … there is something new to see!
![](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_masonry_sm/public/blog_post_images/pbr-image.jpg?itok=JaRKUnVY)
Together Again
It is with immeasurable gratitude that we can begin welcoming our Members, first, on a limited non-public basis, back to our outdoor gardens starting June 18.
![a bare tree in a field](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_masonry_sm/public/blog_post_images/fellows-image_1.jpg?itok=1yqWDws0)
Our Fellows Reflect
As part of the Fellows Program, our 2019–20 Fellows spent time at individual field placement sites around the globe. Here, they reflect on their time spent at their host organizations, and their lessons learned along the way
![](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_masonry_sm/public/blog_post_images/bluebird-image.jpg?itok=02mfhP5j)
Conserving the Brilliant Bluebird
If you live in a place where Eastern bluebirds might thrive, you can support this species at home with your own bluebird house.