Longwood Gardens created by Pierre S. du Pont,(1870-1954) is one of the premier arboretums in the USA, if not in the world.
It consists of over 1,077 acres of gardens, woodlands, and meadows in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, in the Brandywine Creek Valley
The Brandywine Creek Valley is home to world-class museums, lavish “American castles”, formal and natural gardens and several unique events.
The Longwood Gardens estate has an annual budget of $50 Million and over 1,300 staff to maintain it.
Each time I return it’s like the my first visit. A different season and full of surprises.
“On this land battles were fought, and fortunes were made.
Out of those fortunes and a commitment to stewardship have sprung some of the world’s most fascinating attractions and reserved open spaces”
Living in the UK I’m probably closer to Longwood Gardens than you are on the west coast of the American Continent !
As someone who lives in western North America, I had not even heard of this garden. But you’ve added yet another place I want to see someday, Garry!
And these gardens are not all that’s growing in Kennett Square; it also happens to be the mushroom capital of the U.S. and the little white “button” mushrooms that are wonderful fresh (and not so bad as you’d think in cans) are the main cash crop of the area. Which is why they have an annual mushroom festival the weekend after Labor Day; they say it draws upwards of 100,000 people!
The FESTIVAL WEBSITE also includes information on their New Year’s Eve event, which they describe as “Ring in 2015 as everyone joins together in counting down the new year, cheering in celebration as a spectacular 8-foot wide and 7.5-foot tall, 500 pound stainless steel mushroom sparkling with thousands of lights descends into the middle of the Square!”