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It Takes a Family

It Takes a Family

Haig Mardirosian, master of ceremonies for the 2019 Longwood Gardens International Organ Competition, has been a concert organist for more than 50 years and has more than 20 commercial recordings as soloist, ensemble performer, and conductor to his credit.

By Haig Mardirosian, on June 26, 2019
Worldwide Wonderment: Fellows in the Field

Worldwide Wonderment: Fellows in the Field

From Singapore to California and Shanghai to Arizona, hear from the Fellows as they detail the time spent at their host organizations, sharing lessons learned and memories made.

By Chelsea Mahaffey, Erin Hepfner, Sadie Barber, Caroline Tait, and Eleanor Gould, on June 18, 2019
Seeing Beauty to Save Our Global Garden
person standing in front of an arched entry way

Seeing Beauty to Save Our Global Garden

I had the absolute honor of sharing my thoughts on beauty and its role in protecting nature—our global garden—as a TEDxWilmington speaker.

By Paul B. Redman, on June 13, 2019
Style, Color, and Tone: Making the Organ Sing
a person sitting on an organ

Style, Color, and Tone: Making the Organ Sing

Head of the organ department at The Cleveland Institute of Music, Todd Wilson will serve as the head judge for the 2019 Longwood Gardens International Organ Competition.

By Todd Wilson, on June 6, 2019
By Leaps and Bounds: Dance Under the Stars

By Leaps and Bounds: Dance Under the Stars

BalletX will take the Open Air Theatre stage with an exemplary program inspired by the culture of Spanish Harlem, film noir, and street dance … a program worthy of the ages and perfect for the starry-skied setting of our Open Air Theatre.

By Colvin Randall with Katie Mobley, on June 4, 2019
Entering an Organization as a New Leader: Fellows Leadership Salon
the fellows posing for a picture

Entering an Organization as a New Leader: Fellows Leadership Salon

PHS President Matt Rader, who has been in his role for three years now, led an inspiring salon focused on entering an organization as a new leader and discussed the importance of new leaders knowing their sector, assessing and understanding their organization, empowering their staff, and delivering outstanding quality to both the community and an organization’s supporters.

By Caroline Tait, on May 31, 2019
Seeds of Inspiration

Seeds of Inspiration

For the second-year Professional Horticulture students who have designed this year’s Student Exhibition Garden, inspiration comes in the form of seeds—their resiliency, their resulting dyes and textiles, their importance in food crops, and the symbolism of seeding and growing an interest in biological science.

By Katie Mobley and Lynn Schuessler, on May 29, 2019
Birth of a Bonsai
a person pruning a fully bloomed pink azalea bonsai

Birth of a Bonsai

The art of bonsai is rooted in patience and harmony … a practice that entails contemplation and lots of decision-making along the way. Those decisions must be made from both a horticultural standpoint and an aesthetic standpoint in order to achieve the true goal of bonsai: nurturing and training a tree in a container to appear as it would in nature.

By Kevin Bielicki, on May 23, 2019
A Tree with a Story to Tell
young sycamore plants in pots

A Tree with a Story to Tell

When it’s time to plant a tree at Longwood, I look to plant one with a story. … Our new sycamore originates from the incredibly massive tree just a few miles down the road at Brandywine Battlefield State Park in Chadds Ford.

By Scott Wade, on May 17, 2019
Capturing the Beauty: Image Management at Longwood
close up of a woman with a Nikon photo taking a photo in the water lily pond

Capturing the Beauty: Image Management at Longwood

For a librarian, managing images at Longwood Gardens is in the “dream job” category. Images are an essential tool for telling the Longwood story and sharing Longwood with the world. From beauty shots of seasonal displays to documentation of plumbers calibrating fountains to yearly Waterlily Display preparation, there is always something to photograph at Longwood. As Longwood’s digital resource manager, keeping up with the “fire hose” of images and delivering just the right images when they are needed is an exciting challenge … and every day is different!

By Maureen McCadden, on May 15, 2019
Waking the Giant
white hallway with pipes on the sides

Waking the Giant

Preparing the Main Fountain Garden for its annual awakening is a multi-faceted process of plumbing and electrical ingenuity that begins months before the fountains start to dance.

By Katie Mobley with Raymond Mackey, on May 7, 2019
Bright Talent, Dazzling Repertoire

Bright Talent, Dazzling Repertoire

Every three years, we welcome 10 of the brightest young organists from around the globe to compete before a panel of renowned judges … all in hopes of garnering the $40,000 Pierre S. du Pont First Prize. But before the competitors arrive here at our Gardens, they must first design their repertoire according to our guidelines.

By Michael Stafford, on April 17, 2019
Botanical Curiosities of Spring Flowers
close up image of a yellow winter aconite flower

Botanical Curiosities of Spring Flowers

The beauty and abundance of flowers—both in gardens and in nature—is the hallmark of the spring season. Although their beauty is obvious and appreciated by all, these highly anticipated floral displays are the result of complex, interacting factors.

By Peter Zale, Ph.D., on April 3, 2019
Learning by Doing: Our Professional Horticulture Program
two people walking through a vegetable garden

Learning by Doing: Our Professional Horticulture Program

Our tuition-free Professional Horticulture Program is as unique—and inspirational—as its students. Combining practical experience, coursework, hands-on projects, and study abroad travel, the two-year immersive program prepares students of varied interests and ages—high schoolers to career changers—for careers in horticulture through fun, active learning.

By Brian Trader, on April 1, 2019
Beautiful Music, Inspiring Message: Our Earth Day Performances
a small band performing on a stage with a green backdrop a small band performing on a stage with a green backdrop

Beautiful Music, Inspiring Message: Our Earth Day Performances

Longwood Gardens and holidays go hand-in-hand, from the grandeur of our displays during the Christmas season to the eye-popping fireworks and fountain shows celebrating our country’s independence. And while Earth Day (April 22) is not really thought of as a “holiday,” it holds special significance for those of us who work here.

By Thomas Warner, on March 29, 2019
An Orchid Adventure of a Lifetime
Approximately two-hundred thousand orchids in the Exhibition Display Hall

An Orchid Adventure of a Lifetime

Ni hao! Earlier this month, we boarded three flights, flew for 24 hours, and arrived in Taipei, Taiwan on a two-week orchid adventure to attend the Taiwan International Orchid Show, explore new orchid breeding and cultural techniques, and see firsthand new and innovative orchid display trends in an area known most notably for its spectacular Phalaenopsis, among other beautiful orchids.

By Lee Alyanakian and Greg Griffis, on March 22, 2019
Mind Over Matter: Stewarding Lands Under Fire

Mind Over Matter: Stewarding Lands Under Fire

From our roles as part of the Longwood Natural Lands Team and prescribed fire crew, to our work fighting wildfires across the country through the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry Wildland Fire and Delaware Wildland Fire Program—including a deployment to the Idaho Panhandle National Forests this past summer—we are thrilled to be part of (and often on the front lines of) the evolving field of fire ecology. The field is a hot topic gaining traction at Longwood and beyond, and one that helps us steward the land we love.

By Erik Stefferud and Kevin Popowich, on March 15, 2019
Experience the Strange World of Seeds
three books propped up on a teal background

Experience the Strange World of Seeds

Dig into this year’s Community Read books, and you’ll unearth things you never knew about seeds. In Thor Hanson’s The Triumph of Seeds, you’ll learn about a date seed that sprouted after lying dormant for nearly 2,000 years; cotton seeds that traveled more than 500 miles by wind and wave to gain new ground in the Galapagos Islands; and wild primates who “shop the apothecary of the rainforest” for the healing powers of plants … and seeds.

By Lynn Schuessler, on March 12, 2019
Examining an Organization’s Most Important Resource: Fellows Leadership Salon

Examining an Organization’s Most Important Resource: Fellows Leadership Salon

During visits to regional gardens for salon-style discussions, the Longwood Fellows are given the opportunity to learn firsthand from experts in the field of public horticulture. Hosted by Delaware’s Mt. Cuba Center, this latest salon provided the Fellows with insight on human resources leadership and management.

By Sadie Barber, on March 8, 2019
Our Green Clivia Needs a Name!

Our Green Clivia Needs a Name!

Marking a huge accomplishment in our plant breeding program, we are thrilled to announce the release of our first green-flowered clivia—a remarkable feat decades in the making! As our sixth Clivia miniata released from our breeding program, our newest clivia is certainly a sight to behold but, alas, currently without a name … and we need your help!

By Ashley Clayton, on March 1, 2019