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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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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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

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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

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