Around Longwood Gardens . . .

On a warm and not too humid sunny day, we set off for Longwood Gardens, about a 30 minute drive from Philadelphia. We spent the afternoon (and wished we had more time), first wandering through a few of the 20 outdoor gardens in this over 1,000 acre complex . . . 

Longwood Gardens (Camp 2014)

Then to the Wisteria garden . . . 

Wisteria Garden, Longwood (Camp 2014)

On to the Conservatories, an additional 20 inside gardens . . . 

Pools of water at Longwood (Camp 2014)

These are called Tower of Jewels (Camp 2014)

Everywhere we looked, we saw these stately, formal gardens with a profusion of flowers, shrubs, and trees. I cannot imagine living in such a place, surrounded by old wealth and riches. And yet, DuPont made these gardens available to the public and included funding so this gift would be permanently accessible. 

Despite the numbers of people visiting here each day, we found many spots to simply appreciate the beauty of the plantings. From large to small, all these gardens are inspirational. I hope the folks who lived here originally found comfort here.

From the desert gardens, a close-up of Neoregelia: 

To see more pics of this memorable trip to Longwood Gardens, go HERE.