Great Greenhouses of Pennsylvania: Longwood Gardens

Longwood Gardens | 1001 Longwood Road | Kennett Square, PA 19348

History of Longwood Gardens

In 1906, Pierre S. du Pont, industrialist, conservationist, farmer, and philanthropist, purchased the Peirce farm outside of Kennett Square in Chester County. In 1907, he laid out his first garden, the Flower Garden Walk, with the garden's first simple, single-jet fountain. This was the start of what was to become 1,100 acres of gardens, woodlands, meadows, fountains, and conservatories now known as Longwood Gardens. Ten years after purchasing Longwood, du Pont began constructing his first greenhouse. Now referred to as the Historic Main Greenhouse, it consisted of the Orangery, a glass house designed to showcase his collection of citrus trees, and the Exhibition Hall, with a sunken marble floor designed for entertaining and exhibitions. This floor can be flooded with water to create stunning displays. He used fruits and flowers in a decorative, horticultural way, creating what guests called a perpetual indoor flower show. Fulfilling du Pont's childhood dream of building a greenhouse open to the public, it was opened in 1921. In 1928, he built an addition to the greenhouse. The East Conservatory, originally called the Azalea House, was designed to showcase a collection of azaleas and rhododendrons imported from Belgium, England, and Massachusetts.

Indoor Highlights

Throughout the over 100 years of Longwood's history, much has changed, and now, perpetual bloom and constant change describe these indoor garden areas. As explained by conservatory manager Karl Gercens, the goal in these areas is to create a flower-show type display, with plantings that are constantly changed out, sometimes weekly, allowing visitors a new experience each time they visit. Within these ever-changing gardens, some plants are permanent residents. The creeping figs (Ficus pumila) that climb the columns in the Orangery and the bougainvilleas (Bougainvillea glabra 'Penang') that are trained on the pillars and walls of the Exhibition Hall are original plantings from the 1920s. One design element constant in all of Longwood's gardens is water, and the indoor gardens are no exception. A stream flowing through the center of the conservatory originates at a 16-foot-wide waterfall and flows into three black-dyed pools, creating sound and movement in the garden. As you stroll through the Court of Palms and Court of Bamboo, there is one unique plant not to be missed: the Wood's cycad (Encephalartos woodii). This palm-like plant, a member of one of the cycad families (Zamiaceae), is considered extinct in nature, so seeing one on display in the conservatory is a treat.

Amid the ever-changing displays, there are some constants: the Acacia Passage, the Orchid House, the Silver Garden, and the Children's Garden. The Acacia Passage is a narrow, high-ceiling walkway leading out of the Orangery. Here, pots filled with different flowering plants and huge hanging baskets are changed seasonally, but cinnamon wattle (Acacia leprosa) is the one constant. This Australian native in the bean family creates a fringed blanket of green, arching up and over the walkway, and in the spring, when in bloom, it is covered with bright yellow flowers. At the end of the walkway, visitors are led into the Orchid House. This newly renovated glass room displays hundreds of orchids, showcasing Longwood's collection of over 5,000 plants in 2,000 different taxa. These beautiful flowering plants are hand-selected five times per week and are displayed on all four walls in custom-made trellises. From there, guests will walk through the Silver Garden. Contrasting with the riot of color throughout the rest of the gardens, the cool silvers, blues, and whites of this garden help visitors to focus on the variety of foliage textures of the plants native to Mediterranean and desert climates, such as cacti, agave, artemisias, and palms. The Indoor Children's Garden is designed to engage all of the senses of the youngest visitors. Beautiful flowers, fragrant herbs, cascading waterfalls, child-sized fountains featuring spitting fish and drooling dragons, a bamboo maze, and a dripping cave encourage exploration and discovery.

Even the restrooms offer guests a spectacular horticultural display. Individual restrooms are situated within the Green Wall, a floor-to-ceiling display of lush vegetation, including different varieties of ferns, philodendrons, spleenwort, and spider plants arranged to create a mosaic-like design. The end of the hallway features a circular, marble reflecting pool.

New Attractions

While you could spend much time exploring these gardens, be sure to save time for the two new glasshouses that opened in 2024, the West Conservatory and the Cascade Garden, where water again is a constant element. Surrounded by water, the 32,000 square-foot glass West Conservatory has the illusion of floating on the surface of a tranquil sheet of water. Inside, three islands, planted with colorful species of plants from the landscapes of the Mediterranean, South Africa, Chile, Australia, and coastal California, are set on a pool of water, animated by bridges, canals, and low fountains. There are sixty species of permanent plants, including pineapple guava (Acca sellowiana), century plant (Agave parryi), Big Bend yucca (Yucca rostrata), willow acacia (Acacia salicina), bay laurel (Laurus nobilis), and a grove of 18-foot-tall Bismarck palms (Bismarckia nobilis). Seasonal plants thread between their permanent counterparts to create an evolving Mediterranean landscape.

A new 3,800-square-foot glass house also opened in 2024 and is home to Longwood's prized Cascade Garden. Commissioned in 1989, this is the only surviving, intact garden design in North America by acclaimed Brazilian landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx (1909-1994). Longwood undertook an unprecedented 4-year project to move this historic garden, plant by plant and stone by stone, from its original location in the Historic Main Greenhouse into its new location. This tropical garden is home to 1,500 permanent plants, representing 180 taxa, including many plants from the bromeliad (Bromeliaceae) and arum (Araceae) families. Layers of plants line a curving path, vines wind up and around vertical elements, epiphytic plants cover columns and walls, and 16 water features, including waterfalls flowing into tranquil pools, give elements of sound and movement to the garden, all blending to create an immersive experience.

Plan Your Visit

During your visit, you can enjoy a meal at their upscale 1906 restaurant and bar, located in the Historic Main Greenhouse (reservations are recommended), or for a more casual dining experience, visit the Cafe adjacent to the Beer Garden, which is open during summer months, offering a cafeteria-style, self-serve menu suitable for the whole family. You may also want to visit the garden shop. Along with annuals, perennials, bulbs, and house plants such as ferns, succulents, and orchids, they feature a selection of apparel, home decor, seeds, fragrances, and works of art from local artisans.

The gardens are open year-round, every day except Tuesday. Hours vary during the seasons, and timed admission tickets are required daily. They can be purchased on their website. The gardens are accessible to guests with disabilities. Most garden paths are wide and paved, the buildings are equipped with elevators, and most doors are automated. Wheelchairs are complimentary, and electric strollers are "pay what you wish."