A Longwood Christmas

Night display at Longwood Gardens.

I’m very lucky in so many ways. One of them is that I get to go to Longwood Gardens almost every year and sometimes twice a year. I’ve just come back from such a visit and wanted to share some photos of the Christmas display with my readers.

Longwood Gardens is, quite simply, my favorite garden in the world. As a garden tour leader, I’ve been able to see hundreds of gardens all o n all six inhabited continents and many islands, and Longwood, with its amazing variety of gardens, incredible displays of plants and impeccable care, simply beats them all. The gardens are located in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, only 15 minutes or so from Wilmington, Delaware. That’s a long, long day’s drive from where I live, but at least I don’t need to take a plane. Besides, I travel with a busload of fellow gardeners, so it’s a group activity, with plenty of time to talk and share gardening tales.

Longwood Christmas 2019

Here are some of the highlights from the 2019 Christmas show, entitled A Longwood Christmas.

Here and there are fire pits where you can warm yourself up … and even hot chocolate with a bit of added Bailey’s Cream if you wish.

Of course, there’s plenty to see indoors also.

Visiting Longwood

There’s much more than this to see … and to hear. Holiday organ concerts in the greenhouse, fountain displays to Christmas music in the Open Air Theatre, a 140-ft (43-meter) tunnel of light, a model train, roving Christmas carolers and plenty more. I suggest arriving in the afternoon for a first quick tour of the outdoor gardens and to visit the vast greenhouses and all its wonderful plants in daylight, then having dinner at The Café. After, take all the time you want to visit the illuminated outdoor gardens after dark.

A Longwood Christmas opened on November 22, 2019, and runs until January 5, 2020. A similar show takes place annually if you can’t make 2019. Tickets and reservations are available now at longwoodgardens.org. 

Photos from Longwood Gardens (Davis Harold Hank and Carol DiGuiseppi), Larry Hodgson and Mario Croteau