Click here for more photos of Longwood Gardens.
I had heard that Longwood Gardens was one of the most outstanding gardens in America. That notion just led me to be disappointed. It was nice. But I didn't think it was all that great. It covers a large area, over 1,000 acres. Much of that is meadow & forest. In April, the main cultivated garden attraction, the Flower Garden Walk & adjacent gardens, had planting beds filled with common bulbs; pretty but dull. Although there are plant collections, it's certainly not a botanic garden like those in New York City, San Francisco or Los Angeles. The Italian Water Garden & the Topiary Garden are just plain ugly. However, the conservatory is amazing, one of the best I've seen. The garden is located outside Philadelphia in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.
Pierre S du Pont, a wealthy industrialist, purchased this land in 1906 & called it Longwood. He laid out the Flower Garden Walk in 1907. The conservatory was completed in 1921 & opened to the public. After du Pont’s death in 1954, Longwood Gardens was run by garden directors, the gardens were expanded & the entire estate was opened to the public. In the 1970s, the famous landscape architect Thomas Church helped Longwood Gardens with long-range planning & garden improvement. He designed the Theatre Garden, Wisteria Garden & the Peony Garden. I've always found Church's work to be a bit bland, like Longwood Gardens itself.
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