Pierre du Pont built his first conservatory so he could have oranges in the winter. Although his experiment was not successful, it defines Longwood’s horticultural spirit even today--to make the impossible possible.
Longwood’s team of researchers, growers, display specialists, gardeners, and pest control experts adhere to the highest standards and achieve horticultural feats every day. Today the oranges Mr. du Pont desired actually grow in the Estate Fruit House, chrysanthemums are trained to cascade down the walls, blue poppies adorn the Conservatory in the Spring, clematis bloom in March, and other impossibilities become a reality every day.
Each season, each display offers the visitors a different experience. If you haven’t seen Longwood at all different times of the year, come again. You’ll be surprised at how different the same place can be!
The sky’s the limit for this spectacular display of treehouses created by the country’s best designers! Let your inner child come out to play in three fantastic creations.
Purple wisteria is trained over the facade of the Peirce-du Pont House and in the Wisteria Garden both purple and white varieties grow on arbors and are trained into tree forms. See this beautiful vine while it's in bloom.
The Garden Pass is a wonderful way to enjoy Longwood and many of its 800 performances, events and horticultural programs—plus the Terrace Restaurant and Gardens Shop—throughout the year.
You can now access audio tours of Longwood's Conservatory to listen to at home, or play on your personal MP3 player while in the Gardens. These audio files will play on any digital music player or computer.