The Gift of Orchids at Longwood Gardens

The tradition of orchids at Longwood Gardens began with a gift. In 1922, twelve Cattleya orchids were included in a gift of greenhouse plants from Mrs. Dimmick of Scranton, Pennsylvania to Mrs. Alice B. du Pont. It might have ended there, as one-time gifts sometimes do. These first orchids did not fare well, due to the grower’s limited knowledge of their needs and habits.

But Alice du Pont’s interest in orchids grew. She and her husband (Longwood’s Founder), Pierre S. du Pont, were among 100 charter members of the American Orchid Society (AOS), which was founded in 1921 and whose mission, to this day, is “to promote and support the passion for orchids through education, conservation, and research.” In 1924, Alice was elected vice president of the AOS, and she served in that position until her death in 1944, at which time Pierre took over the office of vice president.

Alice Belin du Pont (1872-1944) was one of the original members of the American Orchid Society when it was founded on April 2, 1921. She served as its vice president at the time this portrait was taken in 1925. From the Hagley Museum & Library.

Meanwhile, Longwood Gardens increased both its number and knowledge of orchids. While Alice B. du Pont served and learned from the AOS, Longwood rose grower Louis Jacoby also turned to the study of orchids. His mastery would come from years of observation and practice, but it was rooted in yet another gift—books about orchids from Pierre S. du Pont. As Mr. Jacoby explored orchid care and cultivation, the du Ponts purchased more and more plants. This combined passion for discovery, craftsmanship, and beauty allowed the collection to thrive.

So often, gift begets gift. The initial offerings of 12 Cattleyas and an abundance of books built a collection worthy of legacy. In 1948, Mrs. William K. du Pont of Wilmington, Delaware, Pierre’s sister-in-law, presented her renowned collection of 2,314 orchids to Longwood. Her orchid grower, Bruce Scott, accompanied these plants to Longwood, adding his considerable knowledge to that of the other gardeners. He would become Longwood’s head orchid grower upon the death of Louis Jacoby in 1956, and would occupy that role until his retirement in 1962. In 2001, the collection would grow by gift yet again, with the addition of Mrs. Lammot du Pont Copeland’s award-winning orchids from Mt. Cuba.

The back of this early portrait bears the following description, in Pierre S. du Pont’s handwriting: “Ethel du Pont (Mrs. William K. du Pont) 1899.” In 1948, Mrs. William K. du Pont (1876-1951) donated her large orchid collection to Longwood. From the Hagley Museum & Library.

Orchids, books, knowledge—handed from one to another as gift, passed through generations as legacy. Come visit the legacy of Longwood Gardens during Orchid Extravaganza, where you can witness part of the amazing horticultural heritage that began with twelve Cattleyas and has since expanded to more than 3,200 different species and hybrids of orchids, totaling about 9,000 plants. While you’re here, step into the Music Room, where you can view some rare books about orchids, Mrs. Alice B. du Pont’s 1932 volume of the AOS Bulletin, and the notebooks of orchid grower Bruce Scott.

And don’t forget to peek Beyond the Garden Gates on those special Saturdays we’ve set aside so you can chat with today’s orchid, garden, and design experts. You are also invited to visit our Library, whose 36,000 volumes, 356 current periodicals, 616 linear feet of archives, and more than 70,000 digital images support the ongoing research, programming, and display needs of our staff, students, and volunteers. See you there!

This photograph of Anguloa clowesii was taken for Mrs. William K. du Pont by Gottlieb Hampfler in 1940. You can see more of these orchid portrait originals—black and white silver gelatin prints—in the Longwood Gardens Library during Beyond the Garden Gates Days.

Read Full Post »

100 Flowers: 1 Plant

© Bunkyo Museum, Tokyo, Japan
Artist: Kuniyoshi Utagawa
Hyakushu-tsugiwake-giku (hundreds varieties grafted chrysanthemum)

One hundred different chrysanthemum flowers grafted onto one plant? What an extraordinary thought! Our mum team would love to take credit for this great idea; however, this horticulture art form has surprisingly been around for hundreds of years in China and Japan. Today you can find it on display in only two places worldwide, and Longwood Gardens is proud to be one of them.

Five years ago, my friend showed me a note card with a picture of a multi-flowered chrysanthemum. It was an old Japanese wood block print, or Ukiyoe, made in the 18th century (Edo period). He asked, “Can you make this?” I had no idea how it was made. Throughout 2008 and 2009 I visited Japan to learn how to graft mums from Mr. Hiroshi Saito, and how to recreate the traditional 100 cultivar bloom from Mr. Akiyoshi Oshiro. Mr. Oshiro was the first to recreate this 18th century chrysanthemum art at the Hamamatsu Flower Park in Japan. He generously shared his special skill with me, which I brought back to Longwood Gardens.

Mr. Oshiro’s 100 cultivar grafted mum (Hyakushu-tsugiwake-giku) at the Hamamatsu Flower Park

In 2009 we made our first attempt at a 100 cultivar mum. It had only 36 different flowers.  Someone mentioned that it was so ugly, so we practiced our skill, and by 2010 we successfully displayed 96 flowers. In 2011 we reached our 100 cultivar goal.

The mum starts off as a small cutting in October—an entire year before it goes on display. We grow, train, and pinch it the same as we would a small 1,000 bloom mum.  By June, the single plant has almost 200 stems and is ready to graft. The mum gets divided into four sections, each section receiving around the same number of stems. Mum varieties used for grafting are selected by their bloom time, color, flower shape, and size. Some of the mum varieties are from Longwood’s own stock, but other varieties are bought from domestic suppliers as small cuttings and grown specifically for this project. Unfortunately, in the United States we do not have as many varieties to choose from as in China or Japan, and we are unable to import any new varieties.

The 100 cultivar mum in June, when it’s ready to graft

A cutting labeled with its name, color, and flower type

The grafted mum is kept under shade and misted to insure the grafts do not dry out

After about 2 weeks, the grafts have taken and the mum starts to grow

We start grafting the first week of July, approximately 25 to 30 stems a day. To learn about this technique, read our blog or watch our video.  After each cutting is grafted on to a stem, it gets a label with its name, color, and flower type. Once grafting has started, the mum is kept under shade and is misted to insure the grafts do not dry out. In about two weeks the grafts will have taken to the base mum and should start to grow. During the summer, we remove the side shoots and keep the stems tied down so that the flowers are easier to arrange in the final form.

In September, we disbud each stem so that a single large flower for each variety remains. In October, we start framing for the final shape. Longwood’s framing is a modified version of the traditional Japanese style—ours looks more like a wedding cake. Each flower gets a rindai (white ring) placed underneath to support the flower so that it stays in good condition. The final decorated mum is positioned on a turn table so visitors can view all of the different chrysanthemum varieties.

In 2012, our mum has a total of 113 varieties and 146 flowers. You can find it in the East Conservatory. We hope you enjoy our rendition of this 18th century Japanese chrysanthemum art!

Final framing begins with a large mass of tangled mum stems and ends with a wedding cake of beautiful individually placed flowers

Read Full Post »

Lights, Music, Magic!

Longwood is known for its recently-restored, 10,010 pipe, Aeolian organ (the largest ever constructed in a residential setting). This summer, we’ve received a lot of attention for our premier exhibit, Light: Installations by Bruce Munro. But, did you know that there was a time in Longwood’s history when the spirit of these two crowd-pleasing attractions converged?

Mary Hallock Greenewalt (1871-1950) was a celebrated inventor of color organs, one of which she installed at Longwood in the 1920s. Her sister was Ethel Fleet Hallock (Mrs. William K. du Pont).

The concept of a “light color organ” was the brainchild of Mary Hallock Greenewalt, a distant relative of our founder, Pierre S. du Pont. Mrs. Greenewalt was an eccentric inventor and musician who was perhaps ahead of her time. Her invention mandated that each change in musical note or chord be accompanied by a distinct colored light—no small electrical feat, as the Longwood electricians who were tasked to build this invention would later find out!

Mr. du Pont paid $5,000 to have the instrument built, and it debuted at Longwood in 1926 in our Conservatory’s Exhibition Hall, with Mrs. Greenewalt playing the piano and Mr. du Pont’s chauffeur, Charles Mason, operating the board per her instructions. The local paper gave the performance enthusiastic reviews, but Mr. du Pont was not quite so impressed. He discouraged further concerts, saying that the space was needed for seasonal floral displays. Mrs. Greenewalt wanted to sell the instrument to the musical world, and at her request Mr. du Pont invited Mr. and Mrs. Leopold Stokowski of the Philadelphia Orchestra for an inspection and exhibition of the organ on May 19, 1926. There is no record of Stokowski’s reaction.

The cover from Mary Hallock Greenewalt’s 412-page book Nourathar, published in 1946. Mary wrote this book on color organs, a copy of which is in Longwood’s rare book collection.

From that point on, all kinds of problems arose. The Longwood model began to have electrical problems, as a result of dampness. There was increasing friction in agreeing which color combinations should be used for different music, and how the colors should be projected. Mr. du Pont’s steadily waning interest—plus the failure of the equipment to perform satisfactorily—prompted him to pack up the console and all the parts and ship them to Mrs. Greenewalt for use at the Century of Progress Exhibition at Chicago in 1933. The light color organ apparently was ahead of its time. But perhaps some of its spirit is captured in Bruce Munro’s Water Towers, which combine light, landscape and music to amazing effect!

Read Full Post »

Magic by Moonlight

Victoria ‘Longwood Hybrid’ in the center pool of Longwood’s Waterlily Display

The mysterious behavior of Victoria flowers has stirred people’s imagination ever since this giant water lily was introduced into cultivation in the mid-nineteenth century. Native to South America, Victoria evolved into two distinct species: Victoria amazonica inhabiting the backwaters of the Amazon and its tributaries and Victoria cruziana found further south, along Río Paraguay and Río Paraná.

The massive leaves of Victoria cruziana are valued for their high rims

The huge flowers of the Victoria reveal much about the ancient origin of waterlilies as some of the earliest flowering plants on earth. They open at sunset, spreading numerous white petals above water, providing a safe landing platform for nocturnal scarab beetles, which are notoriously clumsy fliers. Beetles are attracted to the flowers by the nutritious starchy appendages on which the insects feast. The appendages are tucked along the walls of a spacious floral chamber hidden below the many whorls of petals. The pollen grains delivered by the beetles fall to the floor of this chamber, where they germinate sending pollen tubes to fertilize ovules embedded in the spiny ovary underneath.

While the flower spreads its petals in the evening its temperature rises up to 20 degrees Fahrenheit above the ambient. This rare phenomenon facilitates the diffusion of the flower’s delightful and seductive fragrance, which guides the incoming beetles into the floral chamber and improves chances for successful pollination by keeping the insects warm and active throughout the night. In the morning, Victoria folds back its petals, closing the entrance to the floral chamber, effectively trapping the beetles inside. When the flower opens again the following evening, the most magical transformation takes place. The petals that were pure white the previous night are now variously suffused pink and purple.

Flower of Victoria ‘Longwood hybrid’ as it begins to close after its first night bloom

The color change is an indication that the flower is entering its male phase of development. The stamens—the male parts of the flower that circle the entrance to the floral chamber and were inactive on the first night—now shed pollen on the beetles scrambling out of the flower. Free at last, the beetles carry a new load of pollen to the next flower that opens that evening, thus assuring cross-pollination. Following the release of the beetles the flower closes for the second time and sinks under water never to be seen again. This mesmerizing ritual is repeated in the backwaters of South American rivers every night and has done so for millions of years.

The history, biology, and allure of the Victoria will be explored in my upcoming book, Victoria: The Seductress, which will be released in March of 2013. Visitors to Longwood can experience the mystery and the majesty of Victoria during a new exhibit produced by Longwood Gardens, opening in 2013. While visiting Longwood this summer, please be sure to spend some time in our Waterlily Garden, which reaches peak bloom in September, and enjoy the seduction of the Victoria for yourself.

UPDATE (May 2, 2013): Victoria: The Seductress is now available for sale online at shop.longwoodgardens.org

Read Full Post »

The Art of Grafting Chrysanthemums

Tri-colored dome chrysanthemum on display at Longwood Gardens, 2009 (photo: L. Albee)

Ever wonder what is going on in the greenhouses at this time of the year? While you are enjoying the beautiful summer display, Longwood’s growers are already getting ready for fall! One of our biggest projects at this time of year is to complete the grafting process that allows us to grow the large specialty chrysanthemums that will be on display during our Chrysanthemum Festival.

Grafting chrysanthemums is not a common subject you learn in school. We were taught this special technique from Chinese and Japanese specialty chrysanthemum growers, and use it to make eye-catching specialty mum forms for our display. Grafting mums is very common in China and has a long history, but there are no written records of when it started. In Japan, the first record is found on an 18th century Ukiyoe, a wooden block printing. We began practicing this new technique a couple of years ago and are continually learning and experimenting to create new forms.

During last year’s display, we had many different forms, including the tri-colored dome, 100-cultivar, pagoda, tri-colored shield, and pom-pom. We first trialed the tri-colored dome in 2008. You might remember the first one was not perfect, but with practice we are getting better. We saw our first pagoda shape in 1995 when somebody brought us a picture. We had no idea how to make it until we saw a Chinese display in 2010. We had tried various, small experiments but were unable to finish until we learned hands-on, and last year’s pagoda was our first on display.

100-cultivar chrysanthemum, 2011 (photo: L. Albee)

Pagoda chrysanthemum, 2011

Tri-colored shield chrysanthemum, 2011

Pom-pom chrysanthemum, 2011

We graft our chrysanthemums on two different stocks—either on chrysanthemum stock or Artemisia (Artemisia annua) stock. You may be familiar with Artemisia annua, commonly known as sweet Annie or annual wormwood. We use the Artemisia to get the benefit of its strong root system for summer heat, disease and insect resistance. It also has many side shoots that grow close together on the stem and a tall growth habit.

Artemesia with grafted mum tips

The grafting style we use is called “cleft style.” As you see in this video, we slice the stock stem down the center and insert the tapered grafting tip into the slit. Then we carefully wrap it with Parafilm, which is commonly used in laboratories. It holds the grafted tip tightly in place, seals the cutting area and helps the cut surfaces not to dry out. In two weeks, the tip tissue connects to the stock and it starts growing. The key to successful grafting is for the stock stem to be young and fresh (the inside green with no pith). Sometimes the Artemisia stem accepts the graft with some pith inside, but it’s difficult to get good results. Matching the stem thickness between stock stem and grafting tip is also important to connect the vascular systems together.

In hot and dry conditions, the grafted plants are kept under shade cloth and misted as needed. Sometimes, we use small plastic bags to keep the grafts moist. In this year’s wet and cloudy conditions, grafting is going well without misting or using the plastic bags, but it depends on the day.

A pagoda form with the grafts protected by plastic bags

Creating our specialty mum forms is a year-long process. For example, to make the pagoda form, we start Artemisia seeds in fall and grow in cool conditions. Then we graft the chrysanthemum tips in May and June, once the Artemisia stems get thick enough to match to the chrysanthemum shoot. As the Artemisia stems grow thicker, we will graft several chrysanthemum stems, according to thickness, at a time. We pinch the tips to promote more stems until the middle of July, and disbud to one flower in September. Just before flowering, we arrange the flowers to make the roof shape, using twist ties and bamboo.

Soon we will begin grafting the 100-cultivar chrysanthemum for this year’s display. Stay tuned to our blog for more on that later this summer!

Read Full Post »