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Starting this season, we have replaced the East Conservatory’s lawn along the Oval Basin with a permanent collection of vibrant, tropical plantings designed to pull guests into the story and narrative of the garden

Most of our indoor camellias have wrapped up their flowering for the year, but those that are still in bloom give a hint of the camellias planted in the outdoor gardens, and also hint at our behind-the-scenes breeding work with this group of plants.

One of the many elements of botanical artistry on display during this year’s A Longwood Christmas greets you just as you enter the Conservatory—an 8-foot-tall, 4-foot-wide living tree swathed in 1,800 gorgeous hardy Sempervivum, or hens-and chicks.

We are the steward of one of the most important collections of gardens and glasshouses, and one perfect example of that commitment lies in the 55 plants we’ve moved from their previous West Conservatory locations to new permanent homes in our Main and East Conservatory display spaces.

Our guests now have the chance to interact and engage with our bonsai … including the 10 stunning azalea bonsai trees with cloud-like, vibrant flowers we’ve just now put on display in our East Conservatory, as part of a new rotating bonsai display.

Our frequently-changing display of specimen orchids gives our guests the chance to see some of the most spectacular and unusual selections from our collection of approximately 5,500 orchids.

Learn how our gardeners created this miniature indoor landscape, which was inspired by the colors, textures, and organic feel of Longwood’s new Meadow Garden. Photo by Duane Erdmann.

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.