Despite being over 300 miles away, Longwood Garden is known to many people in Grantham. Often when I told fellow garden club folks that I had visited Longwood, their eyes would light up as they told me of their trips there.
Two of the aspects of the garden that stood out to me were the army of docents peppered throughout the property eager to point out hidden gems and interesting facts. The other was the water fountains including small, medium, and huge ones. The fountains were the idea of Pierre de Pont, the wealthy entrepreneur who purchased the land in 1906 to prevent the arboretum on the property from falling into the hands of a greedy logging company.
When Pierre was six years old, he visited the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia where he saw a huge water fountain display. He used some of his fortune to have elaborate fountains installed at Longwood. Visitors were drawn to the fountains on that hot summer day when I visited. Little children ran in and out of strategic locations to get optimally soaked by splashes from the fountains. Pierre would have smiled at the sight.
Now that I've visited Longwood in late summer, I'm anxious to return in spring, and autumn, and...
Two of the aspects of the garden that stood out to me were the army of docents peppered throughout the property eager to point out hidden gems and interesting facts. The other was the water fountains including small, medium, and huge ones. The fountains were the idea of Pierre de Pont, the wealthy entrepreneur who purchased the land in 1906 to prevent the arboretum on the property from falling into the hands of a greedy logging company.
When Pierre was six years old, he visited the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia where he saw a huge water fountain display. He used some of his fortune to have elaborate fountains installed at Longwood. Visitors were drawn to the fountains on that hot summer day when I visited. Little children ran in and out of strategic locations to get optimally soaked by splashes from the fountains. Pierre would have smiled at the sight.
Now that I've visited Longwood in late summer, I'm anxious to return in spring, and autumn, and...
The Conservatory is open year round
Tropical dogwood growing in the Conservatory