Though strong and resilient, humans also are delicate flowers that need to be watered with fun and time with nature to keep from wilting.
Longwood Gardens has long been a horticultural haven for visitors from around the world, some of whom would otherwise spend a dull weekend on the sofa, counting tumbleweeds that roll past their TVs and cell phones.
Spokesperson Jourdan Cole said Longwood broke record attendance last year with 1,614,331 visiting the landmark venue near Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.
While the holidays are a very popular time to visit, this time of year at Longwood is unique because it offers one of the botanical paradise’s best-kept secrets: the annual “Winter Wonder” exhibit that’s on view Saturday, Jan. 21 through Sunday, March 26. Guests must reserve a ticket in advance for this event.
This display gives visitors a chance to come inside (and go back outside) and observe colorful and unusual flowers during the winter season, a time when some plant’s most interesting qualities can be appreciated. This includes the bark of trees, seed pods and ornamental fruit.
Winter Wonder is a hidden gem
The reason “Winter Wonder” is a best-kept secret is because many people mistakenly assume there’s not much to see at Longwood in winter. And they don’t want to freeze outside.
But guests can escape the cold inside Longwood’s Conservatory that’s bursting with blooms from all over the world. This includes the towering Clerodendrum schmidtii (chains of glory).
Nearly 300 blooming orchids also will be on display in Longwood’s newly renovated Orchid House, Cole said.
The rare blue poppies also are expected to bloom in March. This world-famous blue flower, once considered a myth, blooms every spring at Longwood. They’re only on display for about 10 to 15 days.
Visitors to “Winter Wonder” also can soak in the wintry glory of the Brandywine Valley outside the conservatory.
More highlights in early 2023
New this year is Longwood’s Science Saturdays series. It gives guests a peak behind the curtain at plant research and conservation projects.
Topics include “Reading the Landscape” on Jan. 18, “Plant Exploration Around the World” on Feb. 18 and “Plant Collections: Clivia” on March 18.For music lovers, Longwood’s musical lineup for winter includes renowned artists in the areas of classical, jazz and organ music.
And Beginning March 1, guests will see the return of the exhibit “Voices in the Landscape: Deeply Rooted with Storyteller Charlotte Blake Alston.”This self-guided audio tour offers 10 stops indoors and outdoors to honor the contributions of the African-American community through the lens of horticulture and the power of story.
This year the exhibition features new original content for children at select stops, Cole said.
Longwood Gardens travel guide: What you need to know if you go
Plant-inspired Sweet Treats
Longwood also offers a series of monthly floral classes. Sweet Floral Treats is the 2023 series theme for this make-and-take floral design class where the designer draws inspiration from a sweet treat, Cole said.
The first class (Wednesday, Jan. 18) is sold out. It features Mackenzie Knight-Fochs of The Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College and she’ll teach students how to create a floral arrangement inspired by velvet red cake.
The second class (Thursday, Feb. 23) is still open for registration; floral designer Chad Wlazelek will demonstrate how to create a cupcake with a floral twist.The third class (Wednesday, March 22) features Longwood’s East Conservatory manager Karl Gercens, who’ll demonstrate how to create a floral design inspired by Key lime pie.
There’s much more to come this year, but that’s a snapshot of some of the cool things at Longwood in the first few months of the year.After having a record year last year, the botanical paradise is aiming for 1.6 million guests again in 2023, Cole said.
Longwood Gardens (1001 Longwood Road, near Kennett Square, Pennsylvania) will host ‘Winter Wonder’ from Saturday, Jan. 21 through Sunday, March 26.
The gardens are open from Wednesdays through Mondays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Friday, March 31. Hours change in the spring.
Admission is $25 for adults, $22 for seniors (age 62 or older) and college students (with valid ID), $18 for active or retired U.S. military (with valid ID), $13 for students (ages 5 to 8 or with valid student ID) and free for ages 4 or younger. Group rates are available. For more details, visit longwoodgardens.org or call (610) 388-1000.
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Andre Lamar is the features/lifestyle reporter. If you have an interesting story idea, email Andre Lamar at alamar@gannett.com.
