Christmas at the du Pont House at Longwood Gardens

Every year, one of my favorite Christmas displays at Longwood Gardens is the one at the du Pont House. This was the du Pont family home on the estate. The original house was built in the 1730′s by Joshua Peirce. By the time, Pierre du Pont purchased the property in 1906, the house had been significantly expanded. He further expanded the house and added a conservatory between 1906 and 1914. Today the building is used for the Longwood Heritage Exhibit which provides information about the du Ponts and the history of Longwood Gardens. For the holidays, the du Pont is decorated with more traditional decorations than those in the main conservatory. It reminds me of that idealistic view of an old-fashioned Christmas – total fantasy – and always wonderful.

© 2011 Patty Hankins

© 2011 Patty Hankins

© 2011 Patty Hankins

© 2011 Patty Hankins

© 2011 Patty Hankins

© 2011 Patty Hankins

© 2011 Patty Hankins

© 2011 Patty Hankins

© 2011 Patty Hankins

The Music Room Tree at Longwood Gardens

I’ve recently made a couple of trips up to Longwood Gardens to this year’s A Longwood Christmas display. Every year – I think there’s no way they’re going to do a more amazing display than last year – and every year – the incredible garden and design staffs at Longwood prove me wrong!

One of my favorite sets of decorations this year are in the Music Room in the Conservatory. There is an entire gingerbread theme to this year’s display – and no where is it more evident than in the Music Room. In addition to a couple of spectacular gingerbread houses, and a train going through a sugar wonderland – the tree is spectacular. It’s a huge rotating tree – with gingerbread and candy shaped decorations. Here are some of my photos of the tree and it’s adorable ornaments.

© 2011 Patty Hankins

© 2011 Patty Hankins

© 2011 Patty Hankins

© 2011 Patty Hankins

© 2011 Patty Hankins

© 2011 Patty Hankins

© 2011 Patty Hankins

I’ll be posting more of photos from the 2011 Longwood Christmas display in the coming days – I hope you enjoy them!

Christmas at Longwood Gardens

One of my favorite places to visit in December is Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. Each year they create an elaborate Christmas fantasyland in the Conservatory and on the grounds of the gardens. I thought I’d share some of my photos of the Longwood Christmas 2010 display with you today – on Christmas Day. It seems like the perfect day to share the beauty of their incredible Christmas displays.

Tree in the East Conservatory – a 25 foot Douglas Fir tree decorated with 200 red begonias

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

One of the trees in the Organ room. The day I visited Rudolph Lucente was playing the wonderful Longwood organ.

 

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

The Exhibition Hall tree is a 25 foot Douglas Fir decorated with preserved hydrangeas and surrounded by White Star poinsettias

 

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

The Mediterranean Garden tree is surrounded by lavender and decorated with lavender scented ornaments.

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

At the Dupont House, the tree was decorated with pastel ornaments in shades of pink and blue. The decorations on the tree were amazing.

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

The Wildlife Tree is always one of my favorites. The tree is designed to provide an all you can eat buffet for the local wildlife. From what I could tell – the squirrels really liked the ornaments this year. Fortunately, the Longwood staff keeps the tree well-supplied with ornaments.

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

(c) 2010 Patty Hankins

I hope you’ve enjoyed my photos from this year’s Longwood Gardens Christmas display. If you celebrate Christmas – I’d like to wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas!

Outdoor Christmas Decorations at Longwood Gardens

Here are the final few photos I took of the wonderful Christmas decorations at Longwood Gardens. There was a lot of snow on the ground which made getting to and photographing some of the decorations a bit of a challenge.

In front of the Dupont House, there are several trees decorated to please the local birds. While I was photographing the Wildlife Trees, I saw numerous birds stopping by for a quick snack.

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

Here’s one of the Junco’s enjoying a treat.

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

One of the highlights of the Christmas decorations at Longwood is the reindeer in the Topiary Garden. This year, the reindeer are decorating the Christmas trees.

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

Christmas at Longwood Gardens runs through January 10 so I’m hoping to make one more visit to the wonderful displays before it comes down.

A Few More Longwood Gardens Christmas Trees

Every year, Longwood Gardens has a number of spectacular Christmas trees on display. They are themed to match the various sections of the gardens. Here are a few more of the trees featured in the 2009 Longwood Christmas

The Silver Garden Tree

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

One of the Cascade Garden Trees – created from bromeliads and other tropical plants.

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

Even the Kitchen Garden has a tree this year – made from decorative kale

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

And finally the tree at the Dupont House – which sets the theme for all the wonderful decorations at Dupont House.

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

I’ll post photos of a few of the outdoor decorations tomorrow.

Christmas Trees in the Conservatory at Longwood Gardens

Earlier this week, I had a chance to visit Longwood Gardens and take some photos of their Christmas displays. There are several spectacular trees set up throughout the Conservatories. Here are a few photos of some of them

As you enter the Conservatory, the first tree you see is the one outside the Music Room. This year, the low pool in front of the music room is filled with poinsettias. The tree is decorated with lots of bright red begonias.

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

The other absolutely spectacular tree this year is in the East Conservatory. It is decorated with blue butterflies and all sorts of wonderful silver ornaments.

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

I’ll post photos of a few more of the Longwood Gardens Christmas trees tomorrow.

Christmas at Dupont House at Longwood Gardens

Yesterday I spent an abosulutely fantastic day photographing the Christmas decorations at Longwood Gardens. Their display is even more incredible this year than last year. My favorite decorations this year were at the Dupont House – home of Pierre Dupont.

Here are some of my favorite Christmas scenes from Dupont House.

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

I’ll be posting more of my photos from the 2009 Longwood Gardens Christmas over the weekend.

Chrysanthemum Festival At Longwood Gardens

I recently had a chance to check out the Chrysanthemum Festival at Longwood Gardens. The show was up for just over a month in October and November. In addition to all sorts of wonderful varieties of chrysanthemum plants in around the Conservatory, there were some absolutely spectacular chrysanthemum displays.

First was the 1000 Bloom Chrysanthemum. With over 700 blossoms growing on one stem, this year’s 1000 bloom chrystanthemum is the largest ever grown at Longwood Gardens and is the largest in the United States.

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

There were also two smaller 1000 Bloom Chrysantemums on display this year – each with over 500 blossoms growing on one stem.

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

There was also a Chrysanthemum Shield with 172 blossoms growing from one stalk. Longwood’s garden staff learned the technique for growing the shield chrysanthemum a Japanese chrysanthemum grower – Mr. Tadashi Imafuku.

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

And then there were the Chrysanthemum Trees in front of the Music Room. Longwood’s Garden staff designed this display using Cherry Trees that were scheduled to be composted and chrysanthemums grown in a curtain style.

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

The final set of decorations that I just had to photograph were the giant bees suspended around the main part of the Conservatory. Throughout 2009, Longwood Gardens has been running an educational program on The Buds and the Bees, Pollination and Secret Lives of Plants. The giant bees in the Conservatory were a great reminder of how important bees and pollination are in nature.

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

A Few More Pumpkins

In addition to the Cornucopia displayp, and all the wonderful carved pumpkins, I also photographed several other groups of pumpkins on a recent trip to Longwood Gardens. Located throughout the gardens, each display contained multiple varieties of pumpkins, squashes and gourdes of every imaginable shape and size.

This grouping was located near the rose garden. I don’t know about you – but I’d love to know just how much the pumpkin on the right weighs.

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

Here’s a detailed photo of some of pumpkins in this display. I liked the combination of the orange pumpkin, the yellow chrysanthemums and the hay.

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

Here are a few of the pumpkins on display near the Idea Garden.

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

A group of pumpkins piled up against the bales of hay in the Children’s Garden.

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

And finally, some from a display near the Conservatory. I really liked the contrast in colors between the two similarly shaped pumpkins.

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

I really enjoyed photographing the pumpkin displays a t Longwood Gardens this year – and can’t wait to see what they come up with next year.

Carved Pumpkins at Longwood Gardens

Last week, I saw the most amazing carved pumpkins at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA. I believe the pumpkins will be on display until the end of the month. The intricate details of the carvings just have to be seen to be believed. If you get a chance – be sure to check them out if you can get to Longwood before they take down the pumpkins.

Here are a few of my favorite carved pumpkin photos.

Flowers at Longwood Gardens

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

Frankenstein’s monster

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

A butterfly in flight

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

A rabbit

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

A frog

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

And finally, some of the local scenery.

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins