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A Wartime Agricultural Connection
A black and white image of an old farm house.

A Wartime Agricultural Connection

Our 2024 Community Read book, The Last Garden in England by Julia Kelly, isn’t just a remarkable selection that exemplifies the meaning we can all find in gardens—it also has a fascinating historic agricultural connection to Longwood Gardens.

By Gillian Hayward and Kelli Stewart, on March 20, 2024
A Thing of Reimagined Beauty: Community and Sustainability
A persons hands getting ready to pick up a plank of wood.

A Thing of Reimagined Beauty: Community and Sustainability

Among those helping make Longwood Reimagined an upcoming reality is The Challenge Program, a local nonprofit that provides vocational training for Delaware’s youth to empower them with confidence, skills, and purpose—and the makers of custom furnishings that will grace the new buildings opening with Longwood Reimagined.

By Katie Mobley, on March 13, 2024
Preserving History: A Move for the Cox House
An old white house being moved on a large trailer with wheels.

Preserving History: A Move for the Cox House

Located on Longwood property just south of the entrance to our Gardens, the Cox House sits alongside Route 1 and, in response to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s initiative to widen the road, Longwood made the decision to relocate the Cox House away from the road to ensure its ongoing preservation.

By Jourdan Cole, on March 6, 2024
Community Read: A Conversation with Author Julia Kelly
A book titled "The Last Garden in England" propped up in a flower garden bed.

Community Read: A Conversation with Author Julia Kelly

Growing up in a small, rural town in the South, The Secret Garden (our 2024 Community Read selection for our youngest readers) sparked my imagination at an early age with the idea of gardens as cloaked in mystery and secrets, filled with hidden beauty (and stories) waiting to be revealed.

By Hannah Rutledge, on February 28, 2024
Snow, Salt, and Sustainability
A freshly fallen snow with a paved path leading toward a large house in the distance.

Snow, Salt, and Sustainability

While the use of rock salt, or sodium chloride, has served as a widespread, traditional method of combating snow and ice, in recent years a more advanced and efficient approach has gained popularity with the use of brine.

By Katie Testa and Mike Raign, on February 21, 2024
The Peirce-du Pont House Conservatory: A Story, A Legacy
A black and white image of a small staircase surrounded by plants inside the Pierce du Pont house at Longwood Gardens.

The Peirce-du Pont House Conservatory: A Story, A Legacy

From carefully chosen plants to meaningful flags to symbolic wedding gifts of Pierre and Alice du Pont, the Peirce-du Pont Conservatory captures, in one place, the heart of the Longwood Gardens story—and, following its current refresh, that story not only continues, but thoughtfully evolves.

By Kristina Wilson, on February 14, 2024
Learn Something New in Nature’s Classroom
Images of trees shot from the ground, looking up at the sky.

Learn Something New in Nature’s Classroom

At Longwood, we create many spaces to explore your passions, practice your creativity, and deepen your wellness through diverse learning opportunities that allow you to dive deeper into your relationship with nature—and wellness.

By Katie Testa, on January 31, 2024
Growing—and Teaching—through Music
A person seated at an organ playing the keys.

Growing—and Teaching—through Music

Each of our upcoming organ performances is a testament to the power of music, and we are thrilled to be soon showcasing the talents of organists Nicole Keller, Bryan Anderson, and Alcée Chriss.

By Kalee Emery, on January 25, 2024
Winter is for Houseplants
Pink, green, and white leaves of a houseplant.

Winter is for Houseplants

Follow along as I share some fantastic houseplants to add to your home, as well as ways to keep your existing houseplants thriving and beautiful this season.

By Avery Haislip, on January 17, 2024
Garden of Music
An outdoor concert overlooking a meadow with people sitting in chairs looking at the stage.

Garden of Music

No garden in American can equal such a performing arts legacy—and with Garden of Music I share the stories of Longwood’s performing arts legacy, in which over the years I have been—and continue to be—happily immersed.

By Colvin Randall, on January 10, 2024
Botanical Beauty, Down to a Fine Art
A person in an art studio hunched over painting flowers on a large-scale white board.

Botanical Beauty, Down to a Fine Art

With this year’s A Longwood Christmas season, we have had so much fun not only celebrating all things retro—but also sharing the immense creativity and talents of the many, many makers behind this spectacular display.

By Katie Testa, on January 3, 2024
A Christmas of Community
A large ballroom filled with decorated Christmas trees.

A Christmas of Community

This year’s A Longwood Christmas display is bursting with festive trees, throwback toys, a vintage Christmas street scene, and much more … including seven trees in our Ballroom dressed in beautiful ornaments crafted by children from seven local youth-serving organizations.

By Katie Testa, on December 20, 2023
Beautiful Art, Beautiful Impact
Five blown glass pieces resting on a table part of A Longwood Christmas.

Beautiful Art, Beautiful Impact

A party wouldn’t be complete without fabulous glassware—and in the Music Room we’re proudly showcasing fantastic glass trees, candy dishes, and more crafted by two local nonprofit organizations—GoggleWorks Center for the Arts (Reading, PA) and Burning Branch Studio (Kirkwood, PA).

By Katie Mobley, on December 13, 2023
A Very Handmade Holiday
A birdhouse made from lego blocks hanging on an outdoor evergreen tree.

A Very Handmade Holiday

From living wreaths, to floral chandeliers, to creative ornaments, we’ve had so much fun rolling up our sleeves and hand-creating for the season.

By Katie Mobley and Katie Testa, on December 6, 2023
A Restoration for the Ages
A vintage red pick up truck holding several evergreen trees in the bed.

A Restoration for the Ages

Originally intended to be used as a farm truck on a private farm in Port Deposit, Maryland, this 1969 International Loadstar 1800 stake body dump truck sat unused for 20 years on the farm before it made its way to our Gardens—and into our hearts.

By Gregg Ehrhardt and Katie Mobley, on November 29, 2023
A Delicious Blast from the Past: Retro Holiday Recipes
Four round pastries displayed on a wooden board.

A Delicious Blast from the Past: Retro Holiday Recipes

Just like our A Longwood Christmas display it’s the small details (and the deliciously big impact!) that make these retro recipes shine. What’s more, they’re perfect for your holiday table.

By Executive Chef Will Brown, on November 22, 2023
Longwood Christmas Past
The conservatory at Longwood Garden with planted poinsettias around the garden beds.

Longwood Christmas Past

Follow along as we take a look at some notable A Longwood Christmas indoor and Conservatory displays throughout the decades, from new features to display milestones … and leading up to this year’s spectacular display.

By Colvin Randall, on November 15, 2023
Diverse Habitats, Diverse Wildlife
A brown and white hummingbird in air approaching a pink flower.

Diverse Habitats, Diverse Wildlife

At Longwood Gardens, we manage our natural areas to both promote native species diversity across the landscape and to help our guests create memorable and inspiring experiences discovering the dynamic beauty of our native habitats.

By Katie Testa, Tabitha Petri, and Lea Johnson, Ph.D., on November 1, 2023
Longwood Reimagined: New Moments, New Excitement
A scene at Longwood Gardens with a love temple in the foreground and a construction site in the background.

Longwood Reimagined: New Moments, New Excitement

As our most ambitious expansion, reimagination, and preservation of our Conservatory and surrounding landscape in a century continues to take shape, we’re so pleased to share with you the latest moments and milestones along the way.

By Katie Mobley, on October 25, 2023
A Triumphant Return
The arms of a person working with chrysanthemum blooms.

A Triumphant Return

This year’s Thousand Bloom of Chrysanthemum × morifolium ‘Susono-no-Hikari’ started its journey as a vegetative cutting 18 months ago—and today is not only a sight to behold, but a culminating example of the unchanging beauty and art of people and plants working together.

By Kate Santos, Ph.D., on October 18, 2023