Longwood Gardens’ Winter Wonder Showcases Blooming Gardens Under Glass

Escape the winter chill for Mediterranean-inspired beauty during Winter Wonder at Longwood Gardens, on view from January 17 through March 23, 2025. Featuring Longwood’s new 32,000-square-foot West Conservatory and preserved Cascade Garden, the Winter Wonder season showcases breathtaking indoor landscapes and engaging opportunities to learn, relax, and explore.

The recently opened West Conservatory, with its dramatic crystalline roofline, shines in winter as its Mediterranean-inspired garden comes into full bloom. Vibrant colors, exotic textures, and sun-loving scents fill the air, transporting guests to a warmer, welcoming oasis under glass. California-lilacs (Ceanothus ‘Concha’), pincushion (Leucospermum ‘Brandi Dela Cruz’), and cascading heart-leaf pelargonium (Pelargonium cordifolium) are just a few of the many plants that bloom indoors in winter months. 

Just steps away, the Cascade Garden, an intimate garden highlighting the plants of the rainforest, enchants with its 16 waterfalls and winding path. Its preservation within a new 2,800 square-foot, standalone glasshouse provides a serene escape for all who enter. Longwood’s East and Main conservatories continue to delight, offering acres of indoor colorful plantings and rich textures that are the perfect contrast to the muted hues of the winter landscapes outdoors. 

Winter’s Botanical Highlights

From January through March, the conservatories come alive with a rotating palette of seasonal blooms, each bringing its own unique charm. In January, delight in the fiery orange hues of tall kangaroo-paws (Anigozanthos flavidus ‘Orange Cross’) and crisp white cyclamen, complemented by the golden tones of scarlet-plume (Euphorbia fulgens ‘Algevo’) and striking aloe (Aloe ‘ANDora’ Safari Orange). February ushers in the delicate blue blossoms of blue-flax (Heliophila coronopifolia), the intricate beauty of melasphaerula (Melasphaerula ramosa), and the vibrant coral of globe-mallow (Sphaeralcea ‘Newleaze Coral’). 

As spring approaches in March, revel in the sweetly scented freesia (Freesia ‘Blue Sensation’), the bold crimson petals of poppy-flowered anemone (Anemone coronaria), and the captivating star-like blooms of Portuguese squill (Scilla peruviana). Throughout the season, the ethereal hanging baskets of cape-primrose (Streptocarpus ‘Concord Blue’) lend a dreamy ambiance to the conservatories, their cascading flowers a perennial favorite.

Culinary Delights 

Winter is the perfect time to savor the new 1906 fine dining restaurant. Led by Chef George Murkowicz, a culinary innovator with a passion for locally sourced ingredients, 1906 offers an elevated lunch menu focused on seasonality and sustainability, Wednesday through Sunday from 11 am-3:30 pm. Learn more and make reservations for 1906 at longwoodgardens.org/dine. For Valentine’s Weekend, 1906 offers extended hours: 

• Valentine’s Weekend
  February 14–16
  Enjoy extended Gardens hours and indulge in a black truffle prix fixe menu or the 1906 dinner menu during extended dining hours. Advanced reservations required. 

For a selection of ready-to-eat sandwiches & salads, hot entrée selections, and freshly prepared desserts, visit The Café. No reservations are needed for The Café which is  open Wednesday through Monday from 11 am to 4 pm. 

Learn & Discover with Educational Opportunities

Longwood offers a variety of educational opportunities and experiences that encourage new skills and a greater appreciation for horticulture. From free talks and lectures to more in-depth classes, guests can discover more about nature in a variety of ways.  

Join Longwood’s talented staff for a look at the science and research required to create the dazzling displays that make Longwood a great garden of the world. The monthly Science Series invites guests to meet the experts behind Longwood’s innovative displays, with engaging talks on sustainability, plant care, and conservation. Each lecture is free with Gardens Admission.

Topics include:

• January 18: Longwood’s Legacy of Sustainability: Past, Present, and Reimagined
• February 8: Reimagining a Landscape Under Glass: Mediterranean Seasonal Plants
• March 8: Fire for Flora: Controlled Burns in Meadow Management

This season’s Continuing Education offerings, held in the new Studio spaces at The Grove, in the conservatories, and online, invite guests to gain new insight, go behind-the-scenes, and have fun. Highlights include:

• Longwood’s Glass Houses: A Century of Floral Sun Parlors
  Thursday, January 23, 6–7 pm (Online), $12
  Discover the fascinating history of Longwood’s glass houses, from the initial construction of the Main Conservatory to the redesign of the East Conservatory to the new West Conservatory, in this talk by Longwood P.S. du Pont Fellow Colvin Randall.
• Mediterranean Plants for Your Home and Garden
  Saturday, January 25, 1:30–3 pm, $49
  Learn how to incorporate Mediterranean-inspired plants into your home and garden during this engaging walk-and-talk experience.
• Photographing Flowers in Black and White
  March 5–18, $149
  Explore the art of monochromatic photography and enjoy exclusive access to the Conservatory District before the Gardens open.
• Urban Sketching in the West Conservatory
  Saturday, March 22, 1–4 pm, $99
  Engage in urban sketching in the stunning surroundings of the West Conservatory.
• Design Tuesdays at The Garden Shop
  Select Tuesdays
  Unwind with hands-on workshops like kokedama creation in February and orchid terrariums in March. Enjoy light refreshments and exclusive shopping access. Learn more and register at longwoodgardens.org/design-tuesdays.

View Classes and Workshops and register at longwoodgardens.org/events-performances/classes-lectures.

Captivating Performances

Longwood’s Conservatory becomes an intimate venue for live performances this winter, featuring renowned artists in classical, jazz, and world music. Highlights include accomplished organist Clair Rozier on February 23, the Danish trio Dreamers’ Circus on March 5, The Naghash Ensemble on March 16 performing Armenian folk and spiritual music, and the Kennett Symphony on March 23.

Visit longwoodgardens.org for more information about Winter Wonder, including plant highlights, events, and ticketing details. Tickets are $25 for adults (ages 19-64), $22 for seniors (ages 65+) and college students (with valid ID), and $13 for youth (ages 5-18). Gardens and the Garden Shop are open Wednesday through Monday from 10 am to 5 pm, closed Tuesday. There are extended Valentine’s Weekend hours, February 14 through 16 from 10 am to 9 pm. 1906 is open Wednesday through Monday from 11 am to 3:30 pm. Find day-by-day details at longwoodgardens.org/dine.

About Longwood Gardens

In 1906, industrialist Pierre S. du Pont (1870-1954) purchased a small farm near Kennett Square, PA, to save a collection of historic trees from being sold for lumber. Today, Longwood Gardens is one of the world’s great horticultural displays, welcoming 1.6 million guests annually and encompassing 1,100 acres of dazzling gardens, woodlands, meadows, fountains, a 10,010-pipe Aeolian organ, and grand conservatory. Expanding on its commitment to conservation, in 2024 Longwood Gardens acquired the 505-acre Longwood at Granogue, a cultural landscape in nearby Wilmington, Delaware. Longwood Gardens is the living legacy of Pierre S. du Pont, bringing joy and inspiration to everyone through the beauty of nature, conservation, and learning. Open daily, Longwood is one of more than 30 gardens in the Philadelphia region known as America’s Garden Capital. For more information, visit longwoodgardens.org.