Longwood Gardens, Pennsylvania - indoor palms & displays

[piping plovers]

Two weeks ago I visited Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania.  If you’re unfamiliar with the gardens they are top-tier US horticulture; extraordinary displays. 

I only had time for the conservatory spaces. The outdoors gardens are amazing and require more time to explore.  I enjoyed seeing the juxtaposition of tropical foliage alongside temperate climate bedding plants, spring bulbs, etc.

Some impressive highlights were the orchid house; the magnificent orangery-type hallways lined with Palladian windows ( looking like Versailles meets horticultural exuberance); the center turf grass lawn with palms, giant hanging flowering spheres; a gallery room flooded with approximately 6” of water where elegant potted tree ferns were placed in rows and the serpentine living walls with public bathrooms.

If you’re interested in seeing the many orchid photos, I recently posted them in the “Why Not Grow Orchids” thread https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/8340-why-not-grow-orchids/  under the Tropical Looking Plants (other than palms) area on palm talk forum.

Although the palms here are not as large as you would expect to see in Florida and in tropical gardens; it’s still an impressive display of palms growing indoors in a cold winter climate. The staff is very welcoming and they do an outstanding job, in my opinion.

The photos are below.  Many photos, so I will post a 2nd set of photos soon.

a living wall, serpentine with approximately 20 public restrooms along the length.  Never seen anything like this— only a premier horticultural garden would go to these lengths.

 

Edited March 26, 2022 by piping plovers
Correction

[SubTropicRay]

Great photos.  I visited LG for the first time in February.  That greenhouse structure and everything inside is remarkable.  Karl Gercens does a fantastic job with the place.

[piping plovers]

46 minutes ago, SubTropicRay said:

Great photos.  I visited LG for the first time in February.  That greenhouse structure and everything inside is remarkable.  Karl Gercens does a fantastic job with the place.

Thank you.  Yes, it’s really worth the visit.  Was watching a documentary on Kew Gardens recently and always thought that Longwood was the Kew for the USA.  If it’s not then I definitely would like to know about and visit its rivals.

[Silas_Sancona]

5 hours ago, piping plovers said:

Thank you.  Yes, it’s really worth the visit.  Was watching a documentary on Kew Gardens recently and always thought that Longwood was the Kew for the USA.  If it’s not then I definitely would like to know about and visit its rivals.

The Huntington in Pasadena..  Might be about as close as you can get to Kew in terms of variety of plants grown..

Fairchild might come in a close second, though mainly tropical things. Neat stuff in their "desert garden(s)" though. Obviously, their Palm collection is top tier.  Botanical Gardens in Hawaii would be the only place i can think of that out does Fairchild as far as palms are concerned.

If you ever visit the Huntington, plan on spending an entire day ( or two ) there.  A lot of ground to cover, and tough to really enjoy everything on one visit .  ...Then of course, there is the Art Gallery / Museum there ...if you're into that sort of stuff,  to tour. 

I visit just for the plants, haha.  Los Angeles Arboretum, and a couple cool nurseries are nearby and well worth visiting also.

[piping plovers]

4 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

If you ever visit the Huntington, plan on spending an entire day ( or two ) there.  A lot of ground to cover, and tough to really enjoy everything on one visit .  ...Then of course, there is the Art Gallery / Museum there ...if you're into that sort of stuff,  to tour. 

Interesting you should mention Huntington, Silas.  When I returned from Longwood was telling a friend and he told me about Huntington.  I looked at their website, amazing gardens and artwork.  Would definitely like to visit whenever I get out west. I recall seeing a photo of a Licuala peltata Sumawongii they had in a large clay pot in their conservatory; was inspired to try one in a container.

[Silas_Sancona]

Just now, piping plovers said:

Interesting you should mention Huntington, Silas.  When I returned from Longwood was telling a friend and he told me about Huntington.  I looked at their website, amazing gardens and artwork.  Would definitely like to visit whenever I get out west. I recall seeing a photo of a Licuala peltata Sumawongii they had in a large clay pot in their conservatory; was inspired to try one in a container.

The only look on your face as soon as you enter the gardens is frozen amazement..  Entering the desert Garden?  ..Not sure an expression exists to describe what that experience is like..  Did not explore the conservatory when i'd visited but hear it is well worth it.. Planning on exploring it when i get back there again.   Still have a large section of the garden to check out as well...  Spent half a day wandering around just the Desert and Subtropical gardens, after the 5 hour drive south from San Jose that morning..