Trip to Longwood Gardens late July 2010

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At the end of July my wife and I took two of our great-nieces to Longwood Gardens. On the far side of the garden past the conservatory they have a lot of hosta.

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Some more shots.

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Some more shots - Ginko Craig.

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Last bunch.

[Linda P]

Thanks Ed. These are great! I'd love to go myself one day, but these pics will do until I can get there.


Linda P

[Shade Tolerant]

Ed, thanks for the shots of Longwood, I have meant to get there for some time now. Have you visited Chanticleer? Not sure exactly how far it is from Longwood.

[redcrx]

Yes, I have been to Chanticleer a few times. They have larger massed hosta displays. I'll check if I have pictures that I haven't posted.

From where I live in New Jersey it's pretty easy to get to a lot of the gardens in the area - about an hour.

On the trip the Longwood this summer we stopped at Winterthur for lunch - since you can eat in the visitors center and not go on the garden. They have an interesting menu.

Finally got to Nemours Mansion and Gardens on New Years eve day. I have been trying to get there for decades but could never work it out - can't take children and I normally have kids with me, you need reservations, they close for the winter (Jan to May), they were under renovations for the last 3 years ($38 million). The garden part was closed because of the snow that hit after after Christmas. I'll try to get out there next June.

[redcrx]

I think it would be a hassle to get to Chanticleer from Longwood. Traffic is a mess on that route. For me in south Jersey - Chanticleer is just off the Blue Route (476) off of 95 taking either the Walt Whitman or Commadore Barry bridges. To get to Longwood I take 95 south into Delaware and take Delaware Ave (route 52) west to route 1 and Longwood is just south of there. This route goes right by Winterthur. And you would go right by Nemours on 95 (off of route 202).

But there is no good route between the two. Either route 30 or route 1 which kind-of run between them are bad traffic wise.

Just thinking about that - a day trip could be Chanticleer and then back north on the Blue Route to the Morris Arboretum - another nice garden in the area. I was just out there in mid-November. Most of the hosta were gone by then.

Then a different day trip could be Winterthur and then Longwood. Your would get a lot of exercise.

Some shots from Chanticleer in 2008. I didn't get the real massed plantings because my camera isn't that good in low light.

[Shade Tolerant]

Thanks so much Ed. Very good info, pix and directions on the different gardens. Sounds like Chanticleer might be the larger of the gardens. I remember years ago ordering plants from Winterthur before they closed up their online sales. I have never heard of Nemours, $38 million sounds like an impressive renovation!

[redcrx]

Chanticleer is one of the smaller ones - 35 acres compared to Longwood Gardens or Winterthur.

Found this on-line (edit: update 11/2015):
http://www.americasgardencapital.org/

The last one Wyck is tiny but kind-of down the street from the Morris Arboretum. On Germantown Ave heading toward Philadelphia from the Morris Arboretum. But Germantown Ave is a slow drive. I was there once - real old grape vine, bee hive, bush with huge thorns.

I'll put together a new topic for the Morris Arboretum. It's the middle of winter what else is there to do.

ps. There is an old garden called Gibraltar that's not on the list because they have been trying to restore it for years. It's in WIlmington on route 52 right at the University. You go right past it heading for Longwood or Winterthur.
http://preservationde.org/about-pdi/gibraltar/

I was there in 2006 and got a bunch of shots. They used to have a real web site but that's gone now.
I could do a layout of that one also if you have an interest - no hosta though.
Video may not run - http://iis.camden.rutgers.edu/mchugh/tr ... 2006PS.wmv