A Longwood Christmas

by Mary Jasch

A visit to Longwood Gardens' Christmas is always a thrill, a fully absorbing, sensual eclipse of the rest of the world.

It is much more than just Christmas display. In fact, the garden’s majestic beech trees are the major exclamation point for me with their awe-inspiring stature and architecture so visible in winter.

On December 3, I and a bus load of merrymakers visited Longwood Gardens. We let loose in all directions for four hours, just enough to see the night time display of 550,000 lights! Needless to say, the ride home was filled with excited chatter.

On the way from the Visitor Center to the Conservatory, I come upon a solo European weeping beech, sumptuous in its full glory of gnarly branches showering golden leaves to the ground. It is a portent of elegance that awaits.

Just around the corner, an allee of copper beeches have slender limbs reaching skyward. Their roots, like feet, spread thickly above ground and wide-flung branches seem fluid, swirling, like dancers’ arms. When Pierre du Pont ordered the trees planted here in 1951 they were already mature. At night the trees come out to play, dressed in holiday finery.

Longwood’s Conservatory displays Christmas like nobody else. Icy white trees, well-fruited winterberry, giant swans and a dining table-top hand-crafted tree with colorful, draped, feathery branches that simulate a giant peacock are all stars this season. A scattering of interesting “non-Christmas” plants – Arizona Cypress, calathea, giant leopard plant, palms and bromeliads adorn the decorations!

Of course the pipe organ at Longwood is like no other with 10,010 pipes! The metal and wooden pipes are housed in glass-enclosed rooms. They were kind to let me in to see the pipes and organ, though preparations were being made for a private event.

The ballroom, all decked out in peacock finery for a private event, completes a long distance view from giant hand-made swans across the sunken water-topped marble floor of the Exhibition Hall with tons of pink poinsettia and lighted palm trees.

There are many nooks and gardens to explore at Longwood Gardens. The Palm House and Tropical Terrace – actually designed by Roberto Burle Marx who I have always admired – never disappoint, Another favorite is the Silver Garden where Blue Chalk Sticks, agave, aloe and Big Blue Hesper Palm captivate.

Visit Longwood Gardens. You won’t be disappointed.

European weeping beech, Fagus sylvatica ‘Pendula’
American copper beech, Fagus grandifolia
Blue chalk sticks, Senecio serpens South Africa
Calibanus, Calibanus hookeri Mexico
Parry’s hardy century plant, Agave parryi ssp. Truncate SW U.S.
Torch aloe, Aloe arborescens – South Africa
Big blue hesper palm, Brahea armata – Baja California and Mexico
Puya, Puya coerulea – Central Chile
Giant leopard plant, Farfugium japonicum ‘Giganteum’(a.k.a. Ligularia tussilaginea 'Gigantea') – Japan, Korea, China
Fire dragon, Acalypha wilkesiana ‘Inferno’
Aechmea cgantinii ‘Harvey’s Pride’

Longwood Gardens: www.longwoodgardens.org
** All photos by Mary Jasch

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