Longwood Gardens a Winter Wonder

With a vista of the fountain garden quietly surrounded by snow, our hike around Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania was very peaceful, with few other visitors present. But the carillon still sounded every quarter hour, the trees reached their leafless branches into the sunny sky, and the water in the grotto still mysteriously poured through a sunlit opening.

There is no specific orchid display in the conservatories as in the past, but Longwood has brought out some of their exotic orchids from their vast greenhouses and growing rooms. We were particularly fascinated by one whose flowers spill from witchy looking horns called Fredclarkeara After Dark.

The Mediterranean area is always beautiful, but had a particularly striking display which complimented the Gothic arches of the greenhouse.  The main conservatory showed a variety of calla lilies with striking purple spikes in the background.

I'm glad we chose this sunny day in the mid-40's to do our walkabout because snow is predicted again this weekend. Sometimes you get lucky!