Our Blog

For gardeners hoping to enjoy a spectacular spring display, now is the time to start planning, as some of the most memorable and abundant spring gardens are set in motion in the late summer and fall months, long before they bloom.

From midsummer through early autumn, Asteraceae family members color gardens across Longwood, from sunflowers that rise in the Ornamental Kitchen Garden and Flower Garden Walk, to coneflowers that brighten Peirce’s Woods and Hillside Garden, to prairie wildflowers that mingle with grasses in the Meadow Garden.

We’re thrilled to welcome Philadelphia’s own DJ Jazzy Jeff as he brings his legendary turntable skills to a one-of-a-kind performance with our illuminated fountains.

This season’s display highlights several exciting newer waterlily introductions from both local and international hybridizers, welcomes carnivorous pitcher-plants to the space for the first time, and includes the return of the prickly-waterlily, a fascinating species that first appeared in the pools in 1957.

Bursting with color, texture, and inspiration, this vibrant display offers a chance to experience the beauty and impact of summer annuals in full bloom.

Get a behind-the-scenes look at how we make The Garden Shop into the beautiful and unique place that it is … and check out our top 5 summer favorites recommended by Shop staff.

Harvested daily, these fresh ingredients are delivered straight to our 1906 restaurant, where the culinary team transforms them into vibrant dishes that celebrate the flavors of the Brandywine Valley.

At Longwood, we take great pride in our collection of more than 500 artisanal pots for bonsai and kusamono.

As we prepare to celebrate Native Species Day on May 16, in this post we address one of the most frequently asked questions we receive in our Gardens: why do we have plants that fall within the invasive category here at Longwood?

We sat down with Executive Chef George Murkowicz to learn about his garden-to-table approach, how to savor the very latest at 1906, and how to make chilled nettles soup at home. 

Filmed over four years, narrated by Emmy Award-winning actress Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbott Elementary), and directed by Emmy Award-winning documentary storyteller Glenn Holsten of Philadelphia, this sweeping film serves as a cinematic journey and behind-the-scenes look at the transformation of 17 acres within one of the world’s great cultural landscapes.

From our irrigation systems and support of healthy waterways to our stormwater management practices and continuing approach to sustainability with Longwood Reimagined, water—and the responsible conservation of water—is vital at Longwood.

For the first time in its life, our East Plaza English Yew recently received a variety of neighbors—new four-season underplantings designed to accent the tree and add to its story.

Longwood has a remarkable number of places within the garden for you to escape the heat and put your life into chill-mode.

Located adjacent to our Student Exhibition Garden, our new-this-season bog garden mimics naturally occurring bogs in the eastern United States, where carnivorous plants, orchids, blueberries, and plants that like having “wet feet” can grow naturally.

Read along for how, now five years after first detecting boxwood blight in our Gardens, we inspect for and protect against this disease.

Now available in The Garden Shop are joyful bouquets sourced straight from Idea Garden horticulturists and designed into bouquets by the creative minds at The Garden Shop, just steps away.

What is your favorite tree? It’s a time-honored question that will evoke answers from even the most taciturn individual.

Read on to gather some tailored, top-notch picks from a variety of Longwood staff for your summer reading list—or your year-round to-be-read list.