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Winter Recipes to Warm the Soul

Winter Recipes to Warm the Soul

No matter where you’re enjoying the beauty of winter, when it’s time to come in from the cold, these seasonal cocktails and treats (many with a bright citrus twist!) will surely help keep the chill off.

By Executive Chef Will Brown, on January 27, 2021
Telling the Inside Story
pathway leading to the meadow gardens at Longwood Gardens

Telling the Inside Story

At a time in which we find ourselves connected to—quite fortunately—one another via wireless technology, it may be hard to remember that we, as human beings, are wired for storytelling and for time spent in nature.

By Katie Mobley, on January 19, 2021
Windows of Opportunity

Windows of Opportunity

Our new nursery production greenhouse is much more than a new building. With its groundbreaking design, it allows us unprecedented flexibility to accommodate a variety of plant materials, growing methods, and environments, all in one remarkable facility.

By Katie Mobley, on January 15, 2021
Ensuring the Longevity of Our Boxwood
close up of a branch of boxwood leaves

Ensuring the Longevity of Our Boxwood

While we nurture each and every plant across our Gardens with the utmost care, it is with solemnity that we must say goodbye to a portion of our tree boxwood in the eastern part of our Gardens due to boxwood blight infection.

By Katie Mobley, on January 12, 2021
How We Make Our Living Succulent Wreaths

How We Make Our Living Succulent Wreaths

As a Longwood Senior Horticulturist, I’ve had the pleasure of creating dozens of living wreaths and many succulent creations throughout my time here, but this year’s Silver Garden wreath is especially poignant and beautiful to me.

By Kat McCullough, on December 30, 2020
Home for the Holidays
a pink tricycle with a green bowl on it and wrapped presents in the background

Home for the Holidays

Our Christmas display is one rooted not only in beauty, but also in a spirit of giving that has resonated here at Longwood for the last century … and, to us, that spirit can be warmly felt in each lovingly placed ornament to each impeccably grown flower showcased throughout this year’s display.

By Gillian Hayward, on December 23, 2020
How to Photograph Holiday Lights

How to Photograph Holiday Lights

Whether you’re using a smartphone or a DSLR/camera, follow along as I share some tips on how to take fantastic photos of Christmas lights during your Longwood visit.

By Becca Mathias, on December 16, 2020
The Poinsettia: An Evolving Tradition

The Poinsettia: An Evolving Tradition

The poinsettia is an iconic holiday plant with an interesting history that, despite being notoriously difficult to grow, we’ve woven into many facets of this year’s Christmas display, grown in shapes and sizes found nowhere else on Earth.

By Betsy Beltz, on December 9, 2020
Christmas Tree Decorating, by Design

Christmas Tree Decorating, by Design

Decorating a tree is not only a cherished holiday tradition, but a practice that is rooted in design and one meant to evoke a feeling of warmth and cheer.

By April Bevans, on December 2, 2020
A Longwood Christmas Cheer is Here

A Longwood Christmas Cheer is Here

While it’s been a year full of challenges, it’s also been one of hope and resilience … and it was exceedingly important that a spirit of cheer shine through in each and every aspect of this year’s A Longwood Christmas display.

By Jim Sutton, Display Designer, on November 25, 2020
Holiday Baking at Home Sweet Home

Holiday Baking at Home Sweet Home

As the executive chef here at Longwood, I thought it would be a great time to share not one, but two, desserts that are sure to make the holiday season even sweeter.

By Executive Chef Will Brown, on November 18, 2020
Growing for Good
a plot of plant harvest

Growing for Good

This growing season, Longwood joined the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society in their new program, Harvest 2020. An initiative designed to help address the 11 percent of households in the Greater Philadelphia region that are food insecure and unable to access healthy, fresh food on a daily basis.

By Nicole Krom and Alex Correia, on November 11, 2020
The Show Must Go On

The Show Must Go On

Here at Longwood, we always look forward to our annual Chrysanthemum Festival for so many reasons … it’s a chance for us not only to put on a colorful show of rare and beloved cultivars, but also a way for us to stretch our horticultural limits and proudly share with you the fruits of that labor.

By Jim Sutton, Display Designer, on October 28, 2020
The Art of Heart
a bronze statue of two goats surrounded by greenery and trees

The Art of Heart

We are so pleased to welcome a new addition to our Idea Garden—an intricately detailed, beautifully realistic life-sized bronze sculpture by celebrated Brandywine Valley artist André Harvey (1941–2018).

By Katie Mobley, on October 21, 2020
Fall is for Foliage
yellow, pink, green, and red fall foliage overlooks a small lake

Fall is for Foliage

Determining peak timing is not as easy as one may think … when it comes down to it, the timing depends on the weather leading up to the fall months and, as we all know, the weather can be unpredictable.

By Tyler Altenburger, on October 14, 2020
Full Steam Ahead

Full Steam Ahead

Each fall, a multi-departmental team made up of members of our Horticulture, Facilities, and Guest Services departments together achieve the not-so-small-feat of creating this multi-level world in miniature.

By Katie Mobley, on October 7, 2020
Fighting Fire in the Face of a Pandemic
image of a Longwood crew member walking away from a cleared forest fire area

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.

By Erik Stefferud, on September 30, 2020
A Meadow is a Moment in Time
a large field with tall, golden wild grasses and rolling hills in the background

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.

By Lea Johnson, on September 23, 2020
A Chenille Plant Journey
chenille plant's pink cascading flower clusters

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.

By Gillian Hayward, on September 16, 2020
Getting Started with Seed Saving
vegetable plant getting cut from stem

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.

By Alex Correia, on September 9, 2020