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Coming Soon to Longwood - The Student Exhibition Garden

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.

By dawiles, on May 18, 2010
Owl Snags Home at Longwood

Owl Snags Home at Longwood

In March of 2009 we posted a video of a Pileated woodpecker building a nest in a large dead tree (snag) in the woods at Longwood. This year, an Eastern Screech Owl (Otus asio)--a small (8 1/2 inches) nocturnal, woodland owl--has taken up residence in the same location, using the hole that the Pileated built...

By Tom B., on May 14, 2010
A Tale of Tall Trees

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.

By Scott Wade, on April 23, 2010
A Sea of Blue to See
a blue flower with green stems

A Sea of Blue to See

Late March and early April is a time when people are ready to get out of the house and explore the outdoors after all the snow has melted and tiny springtime treasures begin to emerge. At Longwood Gardens we're just bursting at the seams with beautiful flowers 365 days of the year!

By Karl Gercens, on April 12, 2010
Making Scents: The Art and Passion of Fragrance Debuts this Weekend!
yellow, red, pink, and white tulips in front of a building

Making Scents: The Art and Passion of Fragrance Debuts this Weekend!

Longwood's first major exhibition, Making Scents: The Art and Passion of Fragrance, opens tomorrow, Saturday, April 10! At the intersection of flora, fashion and science, this exhibition transforms Longwood's gemlike Conservatory into a museum for the senses.

By Jennifer Fazekas, on April 9, 2010
Desperately Seeking Scents
red flower with a purple center

Desperately Seeking Scents

The past year has been an olfactory adventure in Longwood's research greenhouses. In preparation for Making Scents: the Art and Passion of Fragrance, we brought in a variety of fragrant plants for trial. Some plants, such as roses, are common and easy to obtain. Fragrant varieties such as Rosa ‘Secret’s out’, R. ‘Gros Choux d’Hollande, R. ‘De Resht’, R x centifolia, R. ‘Compte Chambord’, and ‘Jaques Cartier’ will be making an appearance in the Conservatory during the exhibition.

By Alan Petravich, on March 10, 2010
Longwood Water-Platter Ready for Flower Show Debut
large green water lily being lifted from water

Longwood Water-Platter Ready for Flower Show Debut

This year the Philadelphia International Flower Show produced by The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS), America's first horticultural institution, will showcase plants from around the world in the 2010 show “Passport to the World.” A special exhibit called the "Explorers Garden" will greet guests to the show, and will capture the spirit and adventure of early plant exploration. For the "Explorer’s Garden," Longwood is forcing its signature Victoria ‘Longwood Hybrid’ water-platters into bloom.

By Tim Jennings, on February 3, 2010
The King of Our Conservatory
large plant with green palm like leaves and yellow cones in the center

The King of Our Conservatory

When guests first walk into our Conservatory, they are overwhelmed by the huge variety of plants that are growing under glass. You can see plants that grow in all different regions of the world, from the tropics to the Mediterranean and even the desert.

By Karl Gercens, on January 25, 2010
All in the Family ... Poinsettias and Their “Cousins”
group of light pink colored poinsettias

All in the Family ... Poinsettias and Their “Cousins”

Christmas is a time for bringing families together under one roof, and that's just what we've done here at Longwood Gardens... with plant families, that is! I invite you to get to know the familiar poinsettia a little better while appreciating their cousins as well.

By Karl Gercens, on December 17, 2009
Making a Better Camellia: Breeding at Longwood Gardens

Making a Better Camellia: Breeding at Longwood Gardens

Longwood Gardens established hardiness trials and a breeding program in the early 1960’s to evaluate and develop camellias that can tolerate colder winters. These efforts have lead to the release of two of the hardiest Camellias ‘Longwood Centennial’ and ‘Longwood Valentine’. As Camellia breeding and hardiness evaluation continue at Longwood Gardens, the selection of commercially available hardy camellias will increase.

By Matt Taylor, on December 4, 2009
Mum's the Word: Longwood Grows Mammoth Mum
two people working on the 1000 bloom mum

Mum's the Word: Longwood Grows Mammoth Mum

The Thousand Bloom Chrysanthemum (known in Japan as Ozukuri) refers to a technique, originating in China and expanding to Japan several hundred years ago, for growing an extremely large Chrysanthemum, with a goal of producing the maximum number of flowers possible on a single plant.

By Patricia Evans, on November 6, 2009
Seven Stunning Salvia in the Conservatory

Seven Stunning Salvia in the Conservatory

This time of year everyone is talking about the stunning chrysanthemums in the Conservatory--but I would like to point out the beauty of a different, incredible, autumn-blooming plant! The genus Salvia represents the largest group of plants in the Lamiaceae family.

By Karl Gercens, on November 2, 2009
Fuchsias Galore!

Fuchsias Galore!

It's my favorite time of year in the Conservatory with the arrival of more than 60 Fuschsia baskets, each measuring more than three feet in width!

By Karl Gercens, on July 21, 2009
Pileated Woodpecker Nesting at Longwood Gardens
a Pileated Woodpecker on a tree

Pileated Woodpecker Nesting at Longwood Gardens

In March, our staff found a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers excavating a nest cavity in a large dead tree. We were lucky enough to capture the event on film and have been watching (and filming) their nesting habits ever since.

By Tom Brightman, on June 25, 2009
Stick Dinosaurs, Big Bugs and Pollinators
a wooden bee on a flower

Stick Dinosaurs, Big Bugs and Pollinators

Longwood welcomes David Rogers to "Behind-the-Plants!" David is an artist specializing in larger-than-life sculptures made from natural materials. Several pieces from his Pollinators series are on display now in Longwood's Idea Garden, through September 6.

By David Rogers, on May 7, 2009
Peirce’s Woods Sentinel Oak

Peirce’s Woods Sentinel Oak

It is very sad to lose a tree, especially one as old as the Sentinel Oak. That is why it was such a joyous occasion today, as we planted a new Sentinel Oak!

By Pandora Young, on April 30, 2009
Peirce's Woods in Bloom
trees and flowers in bloom in Peirce's Woods with pink, white and purple colors

Peirce's Woods in Bloom

I love this time of year in Peirce's Woods. Even though it means the time for extreme humidity and lugging heavy hoses is just around the corner. The beauty of the woods in bloom makes me forget all that.

By Pandora Young, on April 30, 2009
The Idea Garden Spring Bulb Display
A bed of bright orange, yellow, purple, red, and pink tulips

The Idea Garden Spring Bulb Display

Recently Longwood staff has developed a new bulb display in the Idea Garden. This display plays two major roles; as a strong educational component both for our guests and staff, and is a strong display in itself. The display primarily features tulips and Narcissus (daffodils), displaying division types of each, grown in a trial garden setting where we can observe varieties new to Longwood.

By Harold Taylor, on April 29, 2009
Growing Clivia From Seed

Growing Clivia From Seed

In late winter and spring, your Clivia may be displaying some beautiful fruit. Clivia with yellow flowers will produce yellow fruit, while Clivia with orange flowers will produce red fruit. The fruit is actually a berry that contains seeds inside. If your Clivia did not produce fruit this year, it may not have been pollinated. Pollination is a simple act that is accomplished by taking ripe pollen that sheds easily from the anthers onto your finger or a Q-tip, and placing it on the stigma.

By Alan Petravich, on April 10, 2009
Waterlily Season Has Begun!

Waterlily Season Has Begun!

The start of another waterlily season brings with it great anticipation as we began this week to uncover the pools. But is this ritual of uncovering the pools really the start of another season?  No!  Several activities have already started to take  place behind-the-scenes in preparation for the opening of the display.

By Tim Jennings, on March 25, 2009