Longwood Gardens
It makes perfect "scents" when you think about it. There is no better forum to learn about the relationship between plants and the sense of smell than in a conservatory, and that's what Longwood Gardens has done for its first major exhibit this year.
I write about the Kennett Square, Pa., show, "Making Scents: The Art and Passion of Fragrance," in The Sun's Travel section Sunday. Like so much at the du Pont family bequest, it is not to be missed.
The show runs through November so that it can draw on the changing seasons to tell the story of fragrance. But if you go soon, you will also see the extraordinary tulip displays both in the Idea Garden and in the Garden Walk. More than 200,000 bulbs are planted -- new ones each year -- for the Longwood displays.
Photo courtesy of Longwood Gardens
Also not to be missed? The treehouses. Especially if you have children.
Longwood was purchased by Pierre du Pont in order to save an historic stand of trees. To pay tribute to its orgins, Longwood constructed three treehouses in the woods surrounding the property -- without cutting into or damaging the trees or their roots. It was painstaking process.
The hands-on exhibit is called "Nature's Castles: The Treehouse Reimagined." They are designed to help visitors connect with the life cycle of trees and the forest and to encourage kids to get out into nature more.
Later this summer, the treehouses provide the perfect vantage point to view the blooming meadows of Longwood Gardens.
Comments
We've been wanting to visit Longwood for a long time and your article this weekend really put a fire under us to go...until we saw the entrance price.
Posted by: NotableM | April 18, 2010 7:56 PM