Longwood Gardens

 ♫Chopin♫

In 1906 Pierre S. du Pont was 36 when he bought the Peirce farm because he'd heard the 100-year-old arboretum was to be destroyed.  George Peirce had purchased 402 acres in 1700 from William Penn's commissioners.  In 1798 his twin great-grandsons began planting 15 acres of various specimens of trees.  By 1850 the arboretum had become a place for locals to picnic.  By 1906, however, the Peirce heirs had neglected its upkeep and after passing through different owners the trees were to be sold to a lumber mill.  This is when Pierre du Pont stepped in.  Because of his love of the countryside and his boyhood love of running water, he set about turning his new summer home, Longwood, into what is now billed as one of the top 10 public gardens in America.

Longwood Gardens now covers 1,077 acres.  The Conservatory that Pierre built covers four acres.  It also houses a ballroom and music room.  This is where he and his wife, Alice, whom he married when he was 45 years old, would entertain their guests.  The couple never had children so much of their philanthropy work centered on the needs of children--public schools, universities, and hospitals.  The house they lived in was not at all grand.  It was built in 1730 as a simple brick farm house.  In 1914 Pierre du Pont had a matching addition built which was connected to the original house by an atrium. . . .

Architect's rendering of addition to the Peirce-du Pont House, c. 1913

This is what it looks like today.   In the first photo below you can see the original house on the right joined by the atrium to the new addition on the left (in the lower photo). . . .

Click on photo to enlarge⤴

The original house⤴

The new addition which housed his library⤴

 His office was in the older part. . . .

The kitchen was modest.  The safe held the silver.  The contraption at the end of the counter was to repel flies.  If you click on the photo to enlarge it, you can see what looks like a propeller at the top.  You wind the thing up and the propeller spins its way down the shaft shooing the flies away. . . .

The house was not furnished except for his office.  The other rooms are exhibits telling the history of the house.  If you want to read more of the history you can go here to pick up where I left off above.

I'll begin the tour of the gardens with the Outdoor Garden Map.  It will open in a separate window, so you can refer to it as we go along.  There are several nifty features for all their maps.  If you hover your cursor over the number a photo will appear, and if you click on the title next to the number in the legend below the map you will be taken to more information.  The House is at "C" on the map.  We did not tour the house until just before lunch, but I wanted you to see it first and read about the history to give you an idea of just who the man was who built this amazing garden.

We left the Visitor Center (A) and were standing at the entrance of the Rose Garden (14) reading the sign when an employee, a young man, driving a garden cart stopped to ask us if we needed any help. (Was it so unusual for people to read the signs?)  He started talking about the various gardens and was genuinely enthusiastic about his job.  He'd been their 10 years and after asking how much time we had suggested the areas we should be sure to visit.  He talked about some of his favorite gardens and said to be sure to see the newly-opened meadow.  As we bid him goodbye Ken and I both marveled as to why he singled us out from all the other people milling about.  We don't look decrepit just yet!  But when he asked if there was anything else he could help us with, Ken pointed to his cart and said a ride in that thing would certainly help us see everything there was to see.  He chuckled, but did not say, "Sure!"  Oh well.  We opened our maps and walked through the Rose Arbor (14). . . .

. . . toward the Flower Garden Walk (17). . . .

You can see the top of Square Fountain (29) spouting just above that man's head through the fencing. . . .

Wisteria Garden (16)⤴

We walked down the path toward the lake and noticed this beautiful stand of evergreens. . . .

This gazebo was at the water's edge. . . .

Lake (19)⤴

Canopy Cathedral (20)⤴

View of the Lake from Canopy Cathedral⤴

Italian Water Garden (21)⤴

We followed the path along side the Italian Water Garden to the Meadow Garden (25).  As you can see on the Meadow Garden Map the area is quite extensive.  (Switch to the Meadow Garden Map for corresponding #s now). We only walked along the Boardwalk (4) where I took these photos and the video which gives you an idea of what a lovely day we had weather-wise.  It was in the 70's with a nice breeze. . . .

You should pause YouTube for this video if you have been listening to Chopin in the background. . . .
                                     
We stopped to see the railway garden. . . .

 . . . .before touring the house.  There was a little boy there who had gotten ahead of his mother and was pushing the buttons on the many displays.  When he did this on the one we were reading, which caused it to begin at the beginning each time he pushed the button, we kindly asked him to wait before pushing it again and explained why.  He was very sweet to comply and kept asking if it was time yet.  I was dismayed when his mother showed up with his younger siblings and ushered him away before he could push the button when we said it was time.  He had waited so patiently (for him, I'm sure)!  We had a pleasant quick lunch from the cafe which we ate out on the terrace, imagining all the other people there were our guests on our estate or that we were on the palace grounds of Versailles because everyone around us was speaking French!

Feeling a little more perky now that we'd eaten we headed for the Conservatory (1-Outdoor Map).  Here is the Conservatory Map.  We entered through the East entrance (18-Conservatory map) stopping first in the ballroom where they were readying the pipe organ for its automated performance in an hour. . . .

View of the ceiling

When we returned later Ken went "behind the curtain" so to speak to see the pipes in the rooms on the other side of the wall. Until then we went next door to the Music Room (13) where the automated piano was playing. . . .

 You will want to pause Chopin again to listen to these next two videos. . . .
                     
I walked back out into the conservatory's Exhibition Hall (14). . . .
                   
From there we went outside to see an amazing Waterlily Display (22). . . .

The large platters are called Royal Water-platter.  The flower bud, which is both male and female, will open only for two nights.  The first night it will be white and the next it will be red. . . .

Here is one that has started opening. . . .

I'm always in awe of Bonsai exhibits (5). . . .

Training began for this one in 1930.  There were some that were even older.  Be sure to click on the title on the map legend where you can see more Bonsai photos if this interests you as much as it did me. . . .

Cascade Garden (1)⤴

Orchid House (9)⤴

Acaia Passage (11)⤴

At this point we were wishing that fellow with the cart was around so we could beg a ride.  We sat on that bench, above on the right, a while to gather our strength again to keep going. . . .

Main Conservatory (15)⤴

At this point we toured the Indoor Children's Garden (20), but I am saving that for a separate post.  Finished with the Conservatory we returned to the garden just in time to see the 10-minute fountain display. . . .

You will want to pause Chopin again so you can hear the bells that accompanied the fountain display. .   . .

                      
We still had a section of the gardens to explore.  Here is the map again if you care to follow along. . . .

Topiary Garden (8)⤴

Caryopteris Allée (7)⤴

Main Fountain Garden (6)⤴

Chimes Tower and Waterfall (11)⤴

It was only 4:00 when we arrived back at the Visitor Center.  We had not seen everything, but we were tired!  We'd skipped the various "woods" and far flung areas, and had not ventured into the Meadow itself.  I had one last thing to do and that was to purchase the wonderful miniature plants they had for sale in the Gift Shop.  I made my own Conservatory in my miniature greenhouse . . .

Clockwise top left:  Eyelash Begonia, Asparagus fern, Fiscus (in the lower right corner), Blue Job's Tears, Creeping Varigated Fig

Be sure to visit Longwood Garden's website for more information.

Next Time:  Winterthur's Enchanted Woods & Longwood Garden's Indoor Children's Garden