Pretty Sky Things

Longwood Gardens features over 1,100 acres of gardens in various formats and displays, both indoors and out. Their gardens feature native woodlands, pool and fountain displays, roses, a topiary, an expansive native meadow, a waterlily court, tropicals, and more. According to their website, they are one of the most-visited gardens in the U.S. (and I would say rightly so).

Currently, I live about two hours from Longwood Gardens and it has become one of my favorite places. Their gardens are open year-round, and each season showcases different plant species and special displays. So far, I’ve visited in late winter, summer, and fall. Unfortunately, I haven’t made it in the spring yet, and neither have I in those unique in-between seasons.

Here is a photo looking out at the hedges of the Main Fountain Garden District, taken from atop the Historic Pumphouse & Gallery, where you can view the old pipes and transformers that used to power the grand fountain displays. The gardens and fountains were envisioned by the garden’s founder, Pierre S. du Pont, in the early 1900s, and the fountains have been in use since 1931. Behind me, not seen here, is the main fountain display that supports 35,000 gallons of water daily. We were waiting for the 1:15 pm fountain show set to classical music.

I’ll admit, the first time I visited Longwood, I wasn’t that interested in the fountain displays, but my mind was quickly changed once I saw my first show. My favorite spot to watch is right beneath the fountains where you risk getting splashed by their sprays. You can also watch from across the way, which you can just make out all the people standing there in the photo above.

The largest jet explodes into the sky at over 175 feet high, resounding in the air like a cannon going off. Smaller (comparatively) fountains dance around it, all tuned to each other and the music to create magical displays and shapes. . . it sounds underwhelming to describe it, but watching the details of the water jets and plumes of mist-like droplets float and collide really is so mesmerizing. You know it’s about to start when the smaller fountains across the big yard drop in pressure, and the anticipation builds. The main show goes off every two hours from April to October and each is set to different genres of music– some classical, some even pop. The gardens also have a special show, the Festival of Fountains, where fireworks backdrop the display at night, which we saw last fall.

I don’t actually have any photos or videos of the fountain show itself, because I know they wouldn’t really do it any justice. The Main Fountain District also encompasses the Idea Garden, Rose Garden, and Topiary Garden. I have a bit of a love for roses, so I’ll share my favorites from my visit last year in early August.

This is ‘Darcey Bussell’ paired with the native, Eryngium yuccifolium, aka Rattlesnake Master, which is a very cool plant that resembles yucca (as indicated by its species name). I don’t have this in my own garden yet, but its on my list. This is a great example of how a person can mix natives in with their favorite flowers, creating something that they love.

‘Darcey Bussell’

‘Sunshine Daydream’

This one I had forgotten to take a picture of its label, but I believe it’s ‘Bull’s Eye’. Right behind it you can see a tuft of something purple that kind of looks like a Liatris species, though it’s hard to say for sure here.

These aren’t the best photos, I know. At the time I was only trying to capture their flowers and habit for my own knowledge. They have many, many more roses and I 100% went around and smelled and looked at each one.

I have a lot of photos and experiences from Longwood Gardens from last year and this year that I plan on writing about, so expect a few of those soon.