Stephanotis practically glows against its dark green leaves in the Longwood Gardens conservatory. And oh what a perfume!
Orange wallflowers with a delicious scent were planted among the tulips in one garden bed.
The daffodils were long gone and some of the tulips had already faded. But on a dark, cloudy day, it didn’t matter at Longwood Gardens in the scenic Brandywine Valley of southeast Pennsylvania. The thrill of a profusion of pinks and yellows, purples and whites made the rain go away.
One thing I can always say about this 1077-acre splendiferous garden is that it never disappoints.
Poppies!
For one thing, we knew if the rain came down in buckets, we could duck into the conservatory. Its four-acres of gardens are always in bloom. And they were: clusters of pink roses, hanging pots of blue hydrangeas, tropical flowers in vivid yellows and oranges, silver desert plants with tiny flowers balanced on tall stalks.
What is it about Columbine? Such gorgeous shapes combine in outrageous color.
But the real star of the show in the spring is in the outdoor gardens. Lots of stars spread out in lots of gardens. We spent hours strolling down allees lined with ramrod straight foxglove and snapdragons. We hovered over beds jammed with pink and yellow, red and white tulips. We listened to children laughing in the children’s garden and sniffed herbs in the trial garden. We watched construction of the Main Fountain Garden and promised we’d be back when it’s finished in Spring 2017.
Rows of pink and purple foxglove stood as tall as me.
Oh, but we’ll be back before then too. One thing about Longwood Gardens: in any season, it’s always a thrill.
ⓒ Photos and text
Mary K. Tilghman
Construction is well underway on the Main Fountain Garden.
A Day Away Travel 
The last time I visited Longwood gardens was 3 years ago, I had a friend who lived in Lancaster for decade, then decided to move to a warmer place. 🙂