A Longwood Christmas-Daytime Comes to an End!

The Chimes Tower

I Just Liked the Statue of the Woman!

Main Fountain

Peirce-du Pont House

Addition to the Peirce-du Pont House

Decorated Tree in the Atrium

Decorated Staircase

Those Traveling Trunks Are Even Decorated!

A Lovely Basket Filled with Greens!

Another View of the Atrium or Courtyard

A Simple Decoration with Ornaments of Different Sizes

A Portrait of Pierre du Pont

An Afternoon Shared Snack of Pecan Tart and Tea

OK, OK, I'm done with the daytime photos from Longwood.  As you can see we had a very full day and we ended right before it got dark with a bit of afternoon tea and a share Pecan Tart.  We are going to get to the night views tomorrow.  Raining and gloomy here.  Hope you had a great day today.  Talk to you later.

A Longwood Christmas--Daytime Effects Three!

My Mother Grew a Poinsettia Into the Summer Months Once!

A Beautiful Orchid Wreath

A Decorated Agave Tree in the Silver Garden

A Succulent Wreath in the Silver Garden!

Every Alcove Was Decorated

A Decorated Tree Outside the Ladies Room!

I Think Boxwood with the Special Mulch

Pinecone Mulch!  Very Clever!

Garden Railroad and a Replica of the Conservatory!

I Loved these Steps

Barn or a Carriage House

Maybe the du Pont House

I Just Loved that the Buildings are Made Out of Natural Materials

Finally I Got a Train in the Photo!

Well, you asked for it.  There are still a few more daytime photos for tomorrow.  Sorry for those of you looking for the nighttime ones!  Not quite yet.  Hope this gives you a sense that every nook and cranny was decorated at Longwood.  I took a few short videos around the railroad with some children.  I'll share those with you later.  We are going to the movies to see "Lincoln" with our friend, Mike later today.  Need to work on my Christmas wreath for the front door.  Maybe that will get me in the spirit.  The temperatures are finally seasonal here.  Rain coming tomorrow.  Glad it won't be cold enough for snow!  Hope you are having a great day.  Talk to you later.

A Longwood Christmas-More Daytime Effects!

Mantel in the Music Room

Twenty Foot High Ceiling, 18 Foot Tree, 3,000 Lights and 1,000 Ornaments!

A Simple Decorated Wreath

Not One but Three Wardian Cases

Every Little Nook Was Decorated

A Simple but Effective Arrangement in a Milk Glass Epergne

I Think This is Leaves Sprayed Gold

Decorated Tree in the Main Conservatory

Looks Like It Snowed Here!

The Acacia Passage

A Decorated Tree in the Mediterranean Garden

A Kalanchoe Wreath

A Forest of Children's Decorated Trees

Great Use of Popsicle Sticks and Paper for the Kids to Make

OK, you know I had to torture you a couple of more days with the daytime photos of A Longwood Christmas.  I took a lot of photos so I'm going to show you as much as you can stand and post other topics when I can interrupt.  I find that if I don't concentrate on one trip and tell you everything, I forget to finish and we are still talking about past trips!  Yikes!  We are going to post photos until we are finished!  It will definitely put you in the spirit.  Hopefully, my post for Mother Earth Living with my favorite herb shop and tearoom will be posted shortly!  It is definitely Christmas weather outside!  Back to seasonal temperatures after the 60's we have had, but still no snow!  Hope you are having a great day.  Talk to you later.

Christmas at Longwood! Daytime Effects!

Entrance to the East Conservatory

One of 130 Decorated Trees

I Screamed Because This Tree Was On a Rotating Stand!

An All White Christmas in the Conservatory

Well, not quite all white.  For me it doesn't have to be just red and green

Silver and Blue Decorations on this tree

The Green Wall

Potted Hydrangeas Decorate These Trees

Pointsettias, Lilies and Kalanchoes

This was the Show Stopper.  Description Below.

Unbelievably Breathtakingly Beautiful!

The Tree at the End of the Table!

Closeup of Garland on Tree!  Thought Roses Were Real, They Aren't.

Well, Bonnie and I had a 12:30 PM admission to Longwood.  It is timed entry only during the holidays, but once you are in, you can stay until closing.  We hardly had anyone around during the day.  So we walked and walked and walked.  Really the decorations are spectacular.  It did not disappoint.  I want to describe the table in the Exhibition Hall.  Of course, I'm going to show you evening photos, because the decorations look totally different from day to night.

About the banquet table, Pierre S. du Pont and his wife, Alice, hosted the families of the Longwood employees with an elaborately decorated Christmas tree, gift giving and holiday music.  The table setting was inspired from the party given on December 23, 1921.

It is a 64 foot long table that sits 50 with a moss runner, preserved roses, vases of winter flowering begonia, white-moth orchid, brake fern and silver willow branches.

To back track a bit, Mr. du Pont bought Pierce's Farm to save the trees on the property.  The du Pont family had a tradition of gardening and Pierre was probably one of its greatest gardeners.  Here is a link to the History of Longwood.  We are lucky that Mr. du Pont cared about the land and wanted to preserve and enhance the property and make it a destination for gardeners from all over the world using the garden as a theater.  I'll show you some more daytime photos tomorrow.  We had a great day.  Well, the weather has finally turned cold again.  It was 65 here today.  Ridiculously warm for December.  Hope you had a great day.  Talk to you later.

Lunch at 1906 at Longwood!

My herbal companion, Bonnie and I have been working to get to Longwood at Christmas for years now.  The master gardeners had planned to go, but not enough interest was shown, so Bonnie and I made our own trip.  Somehow it is always about food first when we go.  So we got our timed ticket at 12:30 and went straight away to lunch at 1906.  As you can see by the photos, we sat on the terrace that was covered and heated so we didn't mind the cool temperatures.  Yes, I did eat my roll even though I ordered the panini!  Bonnie's and my mission is to find the best crab cakes in the world, but she also has to check out the burgers and fries.  Fries are her middle name!  Sometimes you just have to indulge!  We'll get into the displays tomorrow.  They were breathtakingly beautiful.  Hope you are having a great day.  I'll talk to you later.

Red Twig Dogwoods Among the Decorated Trees

We Ate Lunch Outside on the Deck!

Roll in a Flower Pot!  Cute!

A Festive Gerbera Daisy and Green Berries of Some Kind!

A Bouchee with blue cheese and apple jam on top!

I had the Cheddar and Ham Panini with a Greens Salad and Home Made Potato Chips

Bonnie Had a Burger and Fries