Peirce’s Woods designer Gary Smith’s Concept Design, 1994

Gardens are always changing. While the Mona Lisa hangs in the Louvre looking much as it did 500 years ago, every year, every season, and even every hour you are in a garden it is constantly in flux.

As a gardener you can either try to fight this change or work with it. In the 10 years I have been working in Peirce’s Woods I have done both. I have fought the loss of canopy by replanting young replacement trees, pruned back shrubs to prevent them from becoming too overgrown, and battled encroaching invasive weed species. At the same time I have worked with changing light levels, poor drainage, and disease pressures by modifying the shape of sweeps, and adjusting the plant palette with a “right plant-right place” philosophy.

Transporting and planting a yellow cucumber magnolia (Magnolia acuminata var. subcordata ‘Peirce’s Park’), April 2013

Transporting and planting a yellow cucumber magnolia (Magnolia acuminata var. subcordata ‘Peirce’s Park’), April 2013

In some areas, such as Cathedral Clearing—the main entrance to Peirce’s Woods off the Flower Garden Walk—losses of large, over-mature trees from the canopy have reduced some of our spring shade-loving ephemerals, and opened up opportunities to expand the original woodland plant palate to incorporate more sun-loving native species while we re-establish the canopy. In other areas, such as Carpinus Walk, which borders the Large Lake, small trees that were planted during the late 1990s are now shading out their shrub and ground cover companions. Many azaleas in this area have become too shaded to bloom, so I have been working to transplant them to areas with more favorable light conditions.

Overall, the shrub layer and small flowering trees in Peirce’s Woods have become very well established, and their presence helps define “room” spaces within the design.

One area that has undergone a lot of change during the last five years is the South Wood’s Edge, which was designed to have strong fall and winter interest. In 2009 the grove of severely declining hemlock trees that dominated the entrance had to be removed. This in turn required a change in the understory of shade-loving shrubs and ground covers. We established large sweeps of brilliant yellow goldenrod (Solidago sphacelata ‘Golden Fleece’) and purple aromatic asters (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium ‘October Skies’), which make way for golden-twig dogwood (Cornus sericea ‘Flaviramea’)  and red fruited winterberry hollies (Ilex verticillata ‘Winter Red’). This change has been very successful in creating an inviting and thriving entrance way.

South Wood’s Edge declining hemlock removal, 2009

South Wood’s Edge flowering goldenrod (Solidago sphacelata ‘Golden Fleece’) and aromatic asters (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium ‘October Skies’), fall 2012

South Wood’s Edge flowering goldenrod (Solidago sphacelata ‘Golden Fleece’) and aromatic asters (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium ‘October Skies’), fall 2012

One area that continues to get better every year is the Silverbell Tunnel in the area known as the Shady Retreat. The path in this area is lined with silverbell (Halesia) trees, which are being trained to arch over the walkway and form a tunnel, which is beautiful to walk beneath in the spring when they are all in full bloom, usually in mid-May.

Shady Retreat, entrance to Silverbell Tunnel

Go Beyond this Saturday, May 4! Join me at 11:00 am, 12:30 pm, and 2:00 pm as I take you on a journey through the history, design, and management of Peirce’s Woods during our Beyond the Garden Gates Day.

Step into Peirce’s Woods through this video that shows Longwood coming to life in the spring:

And don’t miss peak bloom in Peirce’s Woods—happening now! This upcoming weekend is the perfect time to visit.

The panel of judges

The panel, consisting of the Terrace’s General Manager, 1906’s Restaurant Manager, 1906’s Head Chef, and the Senior VP of Food & Beverage, discuss and sample all of the new items to determine if they are seasonal and work well together.

The panel reviews the tasting menu thoroughly and makes notes on potential improvements.

A new entrée in 1906

For each dish the chef explains the ingredients to the group and the team discusses consistency and portion size of the dishes. After the feedback from this panel is implemented, the staff of 1906 participates in a second round of testing before the menu can be considered final.

A new black cod entrée

A new black cod entrée gets some finishing touches before it’s brought out to the panel of judges in this behind-the-scenes view of the Terrace’s kitchen.

Make your reservation through Opentable and come visit us soon to taste these fresh new dishes for yourself!

Learn more about our menu selection process on our Facebook page.

A view of one of the growing houses in the 1930s

This photo was taken in the 1930s by Louis Jacoby, the first orchid grower at Longwood from 1924 until his death in 1956. It pictures former employees Robert “Bob” Peterson (left), who was a gardener and custodian from 1926 to 1967, and Newton Parsons (right). At this time Longwood’s gardeners would have worn ties and white shirts buttoned at the wrists while they worked with plants and soil each day. The original photos from Louis Jacoby are stored in the Longwood Gardens Archives.

View more images from the Longwood Gardens Archives on our Pinterest page

Warm climate growing house

Many orchids are in bloom now in the warm climate growing house. Each of our five orchid growing houses have different temperature settings to accommodate the preferences of nearly 9,000 orchid plants.

Cool climate orchid growing house

The cool climate orchid growing house contains orchids that are native to the Andes Mountains. Miltoniopsis Eros ‘Kensington’ adds some color to this growing house.

Learn more about Miltoniopsis Eros ‘Kensington’ and see it up close.

Mounted and hanging orchids

We use our growing space efficiently and can accommodate mounted, hanging, and potted orchids. The hanging teak containers—built by Longwood’s carpenters—allow us to fill the growing houses with even more plants. We also mount orchids to bark and rocks with wire save space and mimic how they would grow in the wild. Eventually the roots take hold and the orchids fasten themselves onto their mounts without the help of wire.

Disa hybrid orchids

All plants in the growing houses are tagged and color-coded by year. Lavender signifies plants started in 2013. In addition to their starting year color coding system, some plants also have tags to note their water requirements. When plants move to the display, black metal labels are attached to the plants noting their common and scientific names so that our guests can identify them. Once the plants are pulled from the display we sterilize and store those tags until that plant is put on display again.

See what these Disa hybrid orchids will look like when they are full grown.

The largest of our five orchid growing houses contains up to 3,000 plants.

Take a sneak peak of this growing house in our Beyond the Garden Gates: Orchid Extravaganza video:

View more photos of our orchid growing houses on our Facebook page.

The Orchid Chandelier at Longwood Gardens

Our aspiration at Longwood Gardens is to create a place where our guests can take a deep breath and leave behind the stresses of our 21st century lives. This winter at Longwood, your escape is Orchid Extravaganza—a world filled with thousands of flowering orchids.

Some may wonder why we would choose to feature these amazing curiosities of nature during the coldest months of the year. The reason is simple: orchids are the rock stars of the plant kingdom. Well, they are at least one of the rock stars. The real reason for displaying orchids this time of year is that most orchid species are in peak flower from early January through late spring. Orchids can be found in most every climate of the world, but they are particularly bountiful in the tropics where the winter season brings rain, and with it lots of orchid flowers.

People have long held a fascination with orchids. During the grand age of plant exploration in the 19th century people collected them with a maddening frenzy, because the exotic flowers were like nothing ever seen before. Even more fascinating was their unique sexuality that titillated the Victorians. It’s all in the history books. Check it out sometime.

Today, people continue to be inspired by the exotic nature of orchids almost to a fault, because their beauty is deceivingly fragile. While it is true some orchids are finicky, many are not. Our Orchid Extravaganza display features orchids like Cymbidium, Oncidium, Phalaenopsis, and Dendrobium that I would encourage the novice gardener to experiment with and try at home. If you want to be daring, I challenge you to immerse yourself into our diverse orchid collection in our Orchid House. You will see an entire range of species, both common and rare, like no other place in the world. The orchids on display in our Orchid House are hand-picked daily from our vast collection behind the scenes.

In 2013—for the first time—we invite you to go beyond our garden gates and think about the beauty that exists on the other side of our works of art. Who are the artists behind everything that we do? This year we invite you to meet and celebrate the real geniuses of Longwood Gardens. Meet our orchid grower Lee in this video that gives you a glimpse of the beauty behind the scenes:

I know that I am probably biased, but I have to say that I think that this year’s Orchid Extravaganza is the very best ever. The breathtaking orchid chandelier suspended in our Exhibition Hall was designed, fabricated, and installed by the professionals of Longwood. I wish we could expose the layers of the orchid chandelier in a cross section that would show the sheer genius of engineering, artistry, and curation that makes Longwood great. The next time you visit, don’t hesitate to ask one of us “how did you do that?” You have my promise that we will take you beyond the garden gate to share the story of Longwood’s beauty.

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.

I often think about the relevance and necessity of public gardens like Longwood.  Public gardens are diverse in size and scope, but I will go to my grave believing that the great essential unspoken need for public gardens is beauty. Let me share some examples that I learned about in Metz that support my position.

• Christchurch, New Zealand has adopted a program of “greening the rubble,” which is an effort to create more parks and gardens and build a sustainable, green community after the devastating earthquakes.
• Nantes, France has a 4-flower rating (I didn’t even know you could get a flower rating) and will be the European Green Capital in 2013.
• The House of the Gardens in Pine Wood Park in Beirut, Lebanon is serving as a place for a community with a historically complex social structure to come together in peace  and create beauty through gardening.

These gardens are creating beauty through restoration, revitalization, and economic development. Even more profoundly, these public gardens are becoming the catalyzing agent to nurture peace and a deeper, more meaningful understanding of one another.

I salute my colleagues from around the world who are making a difference and leading the way for all of us to connect everyone to the beauty of our global garden.

© 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

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!

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

Aster tataricus ‘Jindai’ was acquired by Longwood Gardens from the Jindai Botanical Garden in Tokyo during a 1985 expedition to Japan.

At Longwood, we have established our very own definition of “a great garden of the world.” To us, greatness is defined by the ability to produce beautiful and timeless displays. But we also look beyond our own garden gates—to our relationship with international institutions—to help us define greatness. Many of the most important design, horticultural and educational contributions we have made would not have been achieved without our global partners.

Our beautiful horticultural displays are rooted in our plant exploration program—a  program that has prompted Longwood staff to travel to over 50 countries and introduce over 130 cultivated plant varieties. Plants collected during these expeditions now compose Longwood’s globally recognized plant collection. Furthermore, many of the plants released from our research and development program are now well known and economically important, such as the New Guinea Impatiens.  More recent global partnerships have resulted in our development and presentation of the rare Japanese Thousand Bloom Chrysanthemum and Lilytopia, which was presented in partnership with the Dutch bulb industry.

According to Thomas Friedman,“the world is flat,” and all of us at Longwood have fully embraced our flat, globally connected world. We have been methodically evaluating, establishing, and defining meaningful relationships around the world. Recent new partnerships with the Fairy Lake Botanical Garden in Shenzhen, China and the National Parks Board of Singapore allow for the cooperative exchange of staff for professional development. We are excited to soon formalize our partnership with one of China’s newest public gardens, the Chenshan Botanical Garden in Shanghai. Our partnership with Chenshan will provide for the exchange of staff for professional development, support of educational programs, and scientific research.

Longwood has many other global partnerships not described here that we are grateful for, and we look forward to advancing our relationships with our partners. Our aim is that you, our guests and community, will reap the rewards through even better displays and programs. These relationships help all of us appreciate one another a bit better and acknowledge our shared responsibility in caring for our global garden.