Longwood Gardens and why you shouldn't go back to places!

The world is divided in two types of people - 'gardening people' who love nothing more than spending their time mucking about with dirt and 'non-gardening people'  who don't! Can you tell which one I am? 

David is a 'gardening-person'. He loves gardens. He spends hours and hours at home coaxing exotic plants to grow in our harsh Australian soil. In spring, when our quiet little patch of the planet lights up with colour it makes all the work worthwhile - or so he thinks.  I like gardens too - just not working in them!

The definition of an annual is 'disappointment once a year'.   I plant tulips every year, and every year without fail, they flower in early spring exactly during the two weeks in which we are travelling and away from home. I have tried planting them earlier - and later - even changing the dates of our holidays. Nothing ever works. It is always the same - a beautiful riot of colour blooming in our garden for no-one to see, except the twenty-somethings, and whoever heard of a twenty-something son appreciating the beauty of a flower planted by his mother.

Longwood Gardens

Except for tulips, and the occasional very disappointing annual, I avoid gardening as much as possible.  I do love looking at gardens though, and in three decades of travelling together David and I have visited gardens all around the world - in fact I am quite the expert on other people's gardens.

As an expert in this field (self-appointed - is there any other kind!)  I can confidently tell you that Longwood Gardens near Wilmington, Delaware is one of the world's great gardens. Do you remember last week's post on Winterthur and its 90,000 objects d'art - well, Longwood is Winterthur without the objects - pretty close to my idea of heaven. Ironically Longwood was created by another Du Pont, Pierre this time not Henry, who created Winterthur. I got the impression the Du Ponts had a family rivalry going - as in 'my camellias/rhododendrons or whatever are better than yours this year.' Wouldn't you just love to have been a fly on the wall at some of their family get togethers.

Inside the Conservatory

As lovely as Longwood is however, sometimes you just shouldn't go back to places. When David and I first visited Longwood in the year 2000 the twenty-somethings were pre-teens and the gardens were a wonderland of discoveries. Returning in 2016 I think we expected to recapture some of that family magic even without our now-adult children in tow. Perhaps we could have, except our most treasured memory was of the water-platter lilies - huge aquatic plants shaped like serving platters and several feet across. We had never seen anything like them. This time the water-platters were mere pygmies of the lily world, struggling to reach a foot or two in diameter. It turns out they reach their peak in mid-July, several weeks after our visit.  I won't lie - this was a disappointment.

Our second most treasured memory were the water fountains - soaring sprays of water dancing in the air like aquatic ballerinas. Our 2016 visit coincided with the renovation of the main fountain garden. A large area of the gardens was completely closed off, hidden behind huge unattractive wooden screens. As I said - sometimes you just shouldn't go back to places.

Water-platter lilies, in 2009

Water-platter lilies in late June 2016 - not quite the same are they!

Pygmy water-platters and closed water fountains notwithstanding, Longwood is a treasure trove of botanical delights. With 4 acres of indoor gardens in the conservatory and 1,000 acres of outdoor gardens Longwood will repay your visit many times over. I am not going to try to describe it, after all as a 'non-gardening person'  I only know the names of half a dozen plants. For once, I will let my camera do the talking.

I know what this is. It is a bromeliad! We have them at home - David must have planted them.  

Not all the fountains were closed.

Inside the Conservatory again.

And again!

The Topiary Garden was lots of fun on our first visit with the boys.

Rose Garden

Tips and tricks and things to know: -

Where is Longwood Gardens and when is it open?

• Longwood's opening hours vary depending on the time of year and the day of the week and whether the Nightscape light and sound show is running. Click here for the full list of hours.

• Longwood's address is 1001 Longwood Road, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania 19348. It is located on US Route 1 a few miles northeast of Kennett Square, PA.

How much does it cost to visit?

• On non-peak days general admission costs US$20 (adult), US$17(seniors 62 and over) and US$10 (children 5-18 and students with valid student ID). Children aged 4 and younger are free. 

• On peak days general admission costs US$27, US$24 and US$13 respectively.

• Click here for Longwood's full range of prices.

My tips!

• Allow yourself plenty of time. David and I had half a day which was just enough to see most things without rushing too much.

• Purchase your tickets before the day of your visit if you can. Longwood issues timed-tickets. This means that when buying your ticket you must choose a time to enter the gardens. Once inside you don't have to leave until closing time. You may not be able to purchase tickets on the day of your visit if all the time slots have already been filled. For an explanation of how the timed tickets work go to Longwood's FAQ page here.

• Don't miss the water-platter lilies. The water lily display is in a courtyard accessed through the Conservatory and is easy to miss. It is open from late May until the end of October.

• Don't miss the Conservatory. The indoor displays are lovely.

Got to go - I'm off to plant some tulips!

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For all the posts so far on our north-east USA road and cycling adventure click - here

Note: David and I received complimentary entry to Longwood.