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Lessons from the Studio Garden
Patio surrounded by flower beds and filled with container plantings with mostly green textured plants and some small purple blooms

Lessons from the Studio Garden

This morning, while tending a Pelargonium in the Studio Garden and looking around the entire space, I was reminded of the basic human need for nurturing something like plants … and the simple pleasure that comes with it.

By Andrea Brunsendorf, on July 30, 2020
Where in the World is Victoria?
A box of victoria seeds inside a cardboard box with packing peanuts

Where in the World is Victoria?

Our most far-reaching educational experiences start with a seed sent to gardens around the world … resulting in not only the sharing of seed that is not readily available commercially, but allowing for even more public garden visitors worldwide to experience the beauty of Victoria.

By Kristina Aguilar, on July 27, 2020
Glorious Groves and Glades: Oak and Conifer Knoll
landscape of knoll trees with a bench in spring

Glorious Groves and Glades: Oak and Conifer Knoll

Towering, century-old trees, winding pathways, and hidden benches await guests any time of year in Oak and Conifer Knoll. It is an all-season destination with a rich history and serene beauty.

By Gillian Hayward, on July 22, 2020
The Scent-sational Story of Sprout

The Scent-sational Story of Sprout

Our Conservatory’s Tropical Terrace is home to one of the rare wonders of the botanical world … and this rock star plant has just completed the performance of a lifetime.

By Gillian Hayward and Katie Mobley, on July 16, 2020
Midsummer is for Sowing
stem of green leafy vegetable in mulch

Midsummer is for Sowing

This month, don’t forget about fall crops, or you will miss out on a bounty of greens, root vegetables, squashes, and more—many of which are of higher quality in cool fall weather and can store through the winter.

By Alex Correia, on July 9, 2020
The Drama and Appeal of Our Theatre Garden
garden path on a misty day

The Drama and Appeal of Our Theatre Garden

Designed by noted landscape architect Thomas Church, the Theatre Garden features drought-tolerant plants that can survive tough conditions … and gives a textural, star-studded performance each year during the summer’s heat and bright sunlight.

By Gillian Hayward, on July 1, 2020
Getting Started with Field Sketching
a canvas of a painted yellow lily and paint supplies placed on a patch of grass

Getting Started with Field Sketching

Deeply inspired by science and nature, artist Natalya Zahn—who created the more than 50 pieces of art that appear throughout our Meadow Garden—shares expert field sketching tips.

By Natalya Zahn, on June 25, 2020
Our Evolving Rose Garden
plants in black containers on a bed of soil

Our Evolving Rose Garden

When you return to visit us again, we hope you’ll make the Rose Garden one of your first stops … there is something new to see!

By Judy Stevenson, on June 22, 2020
Together Again

Together Again

It is with immeasurable gratitude that we can begin welcoming our Members, first, on a limited non-public basis, back to our outdoor gardens starting June 18.

By Paul B. Redman, on June 16, 2020
Our Fellows Reflect
a bare tree in a field

Our Fellows Reflect

As part of the Fellows Program, our 2019–20 Fellows spent time at individual field placement sites around the globe. Here, they reflect on their time spent at their host organizations, and their lessons learned along the way

By Shawna Jones, Abra Lee, Becky Paxton, Mae Lin Plummer, Barbara Wheeler, and Nanette Wraith, on June 10, 2020
Conserving the Brilliant Bluebird

Conserving the Brilliant Bluebird

If you live in a place where Eastern bluebirds might thrive, you can support this species at home with your own bluebird house.

By Lea Johnson with George Gallatig and Pat Smith, on June 3, 2020
The Mystery of Longwood’s Iris Garden

The Mystery of Longwood’s Iris Garden

Very little trace of this iris garden survives today (we don’t even know where it was located!), and only by delving deep into the archives are we able to piece together the story of this long-vanished garden.

By Judy Stevenson, on May 27, 2020
Create Your Own Healing Garden

Create Your Own Healing Garden

Gardens not only provide psychological, emotional, and spiritual benefits, but exploring or caring for a garden also reaps the physical benefits of exercise, which in turn can elevate mood.

By Abbey Gau, on May 21, 2020
Resilience, Down to a Science
multiple lab tubes with green plants germinating

Resilience, Down to a Science

Part of the greater Horticulture department, the Research and Conservation team is vital to the growth of Longwood and the health of horticulture as a whole.

By Katie Mobley, on May 18, 2020
Hungry for History: Our Carnivorous Collection
close up image of a carnivorous plant

Hungry for History: Our Carnivorous Collection

With their visual appeal and botanical interest, it is little wonder that carnivorous plants have long had a place on display in our Gardens.

By Gillian Hayward, on May 14, 2020
Farewell to an Iconic Tree

Farewell to an Iconic Tree

This magnificent tree, thought to be nearly 200 years old, was the first tree at Longwood to be designated a state champion tree, meaning it was deemed the largest of its kind of Pennsylvania—and then went on to be deemed the largest in the nation.

By Katie Mobley, on May 11, 2020
Getting Started with Vegetable Gardening
row of green leafy vegetables planted in mulch

Getting Started with Vegetable Gardening

With more time at home this spring, there has never been a better time to start that home vegetable garden you’ve always wanted.

By Alex Correia, on May 6, 2020
The Glue that Binds Us
oval outdoor fountain without water

The Glue that Binds Us

As long-stemmed flowers require staking in order to thrive, Longwood has long depended on the stability of the complex system of our 210 buildings and structures, as well as our infrastructure, that together make up our Gardens—and without which our plants would not be able to grow.

By Katie Mobley, on April 29, 2020
The Power of Local Conservation
a cluster of wild orchids covering the ground in a forest

The Power of Local Conservation

At Longwood, we have developed an orchid conservation program that addresses the science, research, and curation of locally, nationally, and globally rare species.

By Peter Zale, on April 22, 2020
Preparing for a Future Flourish

Preparing for a Future Flourish

We can draw an interesting parallel between the dormancy of a plant and the temporary closure Longwood Gardens is experiencing right now … as well the necessary pause our region, our nation, and the entire world is now taking.

By Katie Mobley, on April 15, 2020