The $250 million seeds planted in Longwood Gardens’ transformation project are finally starting to see a little sunlight.
The first phase to blossom from the expansion project named Longwood Reimagined: A New Garden Experience – slated for completion in late 2024 – was the restored Orchid House, which reopened Saturday, after being closed for less than a year.
The 100-year-old Orchid House is now able to exhibit up to 50% more orchids throughout the year from Longwood’s collection, and it’s recognized as one of the most important in the world.
The improved Orchid House has 1,416 new panes of glass, Patricia Evans, spokesperson for Longwood Gardens, told Delaware Online / The News Journal.
“Being surrounded by blooming orchids is relaxing, inspiring and invigorating as well,” she said. “It’s like sunlight coming through the windows. It’s a beautiful place to spend an afternoon.”
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Working with John Milner Architects, experts in historical preservation and design, Longwood restored the vintage mosaic concrete of the Orchid house and installed a new glass roof and glass walls, according to press materials.
Additional installation included lighting and custom-frame trellises designed by Longwood’s in-house design team, plus display components.
5,000 shiny Orchids
The antique bronze display cases of the Orchid House have been conserved, along with its ornamental metalwork. Each day, 250 to 300 blooming orchids will be showcased on custom-made trellises that allow the blossoms to be displayed in varying heights and arrangements on a changing basis, Longwood said in a statement.
Longwood’s orchid collection today features 5,000 plants of diverse origin, size and color, representing 2,000 different taxa, making it one of the largest and most extensive collections of plants at Longwood, they said.
A big part of the collection includes Cattleya orchids, a favorite of Alice B. du Pont, featuring some antique hybrid and cultivar selections that are no longer available commercially, and in some cases are more than a century old.
There’s also Paphiopedilum or lady’s slipper orchids, native to tropical Asia.
Phalaenopsis, or moth orchids, are bred in a variety of forms and colors through new hybridization techniques. The Oncidium are native to Central and South America and the Caribbean, with many small to medium-size flowers on a branched stem.
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Disa is a genus of orchid native to South Africa and that’s bred and displayed in few public gardens around the world.
The Orchid House is curated by Greg Griffis, senior horticulturist and orchid expert at Longwood.
“We have been building and caring for our collection since the 1920s,” Griffis said in a statement. “Our restored Orchid House will enable us to better showcase the beauty and diversity of our notable collection, as well as continue to expand the collection and share these extraordinary plants with our guests for years to come.”
Plants are ‘endangered’
Orchids are considered “endangered” and they make up about 8 to 10% of all plants in the world, according to Peter Zale, Ph.D., associate director of conservation, breeding, and collections at Longwood Gardens. “
More than just a place to display colorful plants, the Orchid House serves to educate the public about Orchidaceae and the importance of biodiversity, while highlighting the work of Longwood Gardens as a leader in conservation and propagation of terrestrial orchids around the world.
The Orchid House reflects Longwood’s commitment to this special collection of flowers, which founder Pierre S. du Pont and his wife started gathering nearly a century ago.
In 1906 when Pierre S. du Pont purchased the original 202 acres that would become Longwood Gardens, the purchase price was $16,000, Evans said.
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“As we preserve and enhance this treasured space, we have created an even better experience to enjoy our renowned orchid collection, so that we can continue to share the diversity, beauty, and importance of our orchids with our guests long into the future,” Paul Redman, director and CEO of Longwood said in a statement.
‘Longwood Reimagined’ overview
The improved Orchid House marks the first milestone achieved in “Longwood Reimagined,” a transformation of 17 acres of the gardens’ central visitor area.
The $250 million project aims to expand the public spaces of the central grounds and connect them from east to west for a unified journey through the lush garden, according to press materials.
Major additions to Longwood Reimagined include a new West Conservatory and a restaurant.
“Longwood Reimagined” originated from a master plan developed in 2010 by West 8 Urban Design & Landscape Architecture with Weiss/Manfredi Architecture/Landscape/Urbanism.
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The project, slated for completion in late 2024, is managed by Bancroft Construction Company, based in Wilmington.
The Orchid House was the first to kick off this ambitious project because it has one of the smallest footprints, Evans explained.
The flowers are “so popular with our guests,” she added.
“The Orchid House was sort of this jewel box we had that needed repair. It was 100 years old,” she said.
“It’s something we wanted to address first, if we could. And we knew the timeframe for the Orchid House was shorter than the other portions of the project.”
Longwood Gardens (1001 Longwood Road, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania) is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday through Monday in March.
Admission is $18-$25, except for children ages 5 to 18 ($13), Museums for All and PA ACCESS Cardholders ($2), and children 4 or younger (free). Visit longwoodgardens.org or (610) 388-1000.
Andre Lamar is the features/lifestyle reporter. If you have an interesting story idea, email Andre Lamar at alamar@gannett.com
