The Party Continues on The Tenth Day

It was very, very cold yesterday afternoon and evening.  It was, in fact, frigid!  The polar air, however, did not deter us from accepting an invitation from friends, Sheila and Adam, to join them on a trip to Longwood Gardens to see the French-inspired Christmas decor on display there.  Can you imagine 670,000 cranberries floating in the fern garden transformed into a paterre-style (French indoor) garden?  Or 8,000 Granny Smith apples floating in that same garden?  Or the 3,000 gilded walnuts mixed in among the cranberries and the apples?  What a sight!  Have you ever seen 2,003 poinsettias  all in one place?  The Gardens were illuminated by over 500,000 (that’s half a million) twinkling Christmas lights and, last night we were given an extra bonus—the first “Super Moon” of 2018 was also on display in the heavens to add to the wonder of our Longwood party.  Unfortunately the new “Fountain Show” was not available to us and I’m sure you can guess why—the frigid temperatures prohibited it! 

Longwood Gardens is one of America’s premier botanical gardens covering some 1,000 areas of gardens, woodlands, and meadows in Kenneth Square, PA.  It has a long history. In 1798, Samuel and Joshua Peirce  began planting an arboretum on 15 acres.  By 1850, the arboretum had one of the finest collections of trees in the nation.  In the early 1900’s  a lumber mill operator was about to cut down the trees, when Pierre S. du Pont stepped in to save the day.  The 36-year old du Pont  purchased the land to preserve the trees.  As the years went by du Pont began to develop the horticultural wonders that now grace the land and to make Longwood a special place where he could entertain his friends.  In 1921, the Pierre S. du Pont family started holding holiday parties at the estate for Longwood Garden employees—and the party tradition has continued—not only for employees, but for all who come to enjoy and walk the grounds of Longwood at Christmastime or any other time.  This year’s Longwood Christmas party will continue until January 7th.  Bundle up and dance your way through the poinsettia, roses, orchids and beautifully decorated Christmas trees at Longwood.  With Shakespeare I can say about Longwood Gardens, “I like this place and could willingly waste my time in it.”

Thanks,  Sheila and Adam