Peirce’s Woods: An Evolving Beauty

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.

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Behind-the-Scenes of Our Orchid Growing Houses

Our historic orchid growing houses, normally open only to Longwood’s staff, were constructed between 1926 and 1962. Today we use these houses to grow and care for the nearly 9,000 orchids in our collection. Visit us this Saturday, March 23, 2013, for our final Beyond the Garden Gates Day of the Orchid Extravaganza season, when you’ll have the rare chance to visit these spaces in person.

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.

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Behind the Beauty of Orchid Extravaganza

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.

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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.

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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!

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