Returning home all partied out from Marc's wedding we decided to take a daytrip. A family visit isn't complete without that excursion usually to nearby West Point Military Academy or the suburbs of neighboring Connecticut, Boston or Pennsylvania. Ruel and I share the same passion of gardening so here we are ready to fulfill his request to see Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pa. My brother must've bragged about his trip to this garden when he came to visit years ago and Ruel just has to see it for himself.Are we there yet?
We hit the road quite early but somewhere on I-276 Lady Jane must have picked up some distorted signals and sent us driving around on a loop. After what I've seen this gadget do or not do, I wouldn't trust this Lady to land a 747.
By the way, When was the last time you updated this gizmo?
What update?
Oops. After exorcizing the ghosts out of this poor Garmin, we got well on our way to Longwood and arrived there just in time for lunch.
The wooded, shady grove served as a backdrop for our picnic. What I would give to have this in my backyard. Sorry kids I already packed everything we need so you just have to fix your own sandwiches and no rice or soup this time. Bread - that's what you're eating. You are in the woods, deal with it.
After lunch, we wandered the gardens, stopping to sit awhile and take in the sights, scents and sounds. We were even greeted by one of the cats employed by Longwood to keep out mice (we were told). The perfectly clipped linden trees and well-pruned bushes are just a sight to see; 200 years old those trees must be at least.
Hah! My neighbor Lissa would have a field day chastising Mr. Pierce for planting those trees and Mr. Du Pont for buying the park. You see, sadly, this girl has a violent antipathy to trees. I gather she wants us to slaughter all the trees in the property grounds and grind them for mulching. Can you imagine?
Well, she won't get her way; instead we (the rest of the board) gladly signed up for tree stewardship with the City and adopted 26 trees for free as part of the MillionTreesNYC program of our Mayor. Lissa was livid. More trees, more birds, more bird poop on my car, more leaves to rake in the fall, she complained. Okay, so you're not a tree hugger but come on. As Philip would say, she's a loose cannon.
Longwood Gardens is a gasp-inducing site. The sprawling garden display is awesome, with over 1000 acres of indoor and outdoor gardens, and a collection of trees. Tens of thousands of different kinds of plants, tiled pools and fountains, an outdoor theatre are just some of the beauties the garden offers.
The meticulous design, the mood and the overall look remind me of the gardens in Versailles.
The conservatory is a showcase of more exotic and beautiful plants. Currently on display (LilyTopia) are about 10,000 lilies of different varieties flown overnight from The Netherlands. Some are even scented. I thought the Dutch are just known for their tulips and reef. What a spectacle.
Outside the conservatory are many pools of water featuring tropical and hardy water lilies. At this time the area is closed for maintenance. During my first visit here, I saw the large-leaved Longwood hybrid water lilies with leaves that grow up to 88 inches in diameter and dominate the center pool. The huge leaves are said to be capable of supporting the weight of a baby and are grown annually from seeds.
I don't know about you, but we all had a blast. The kids are happy and impressed. The Singapore Botanic Gardens doesn't come close to this, they concluded. 
So all you gardeners and wannabes out there, visit Longwood Gardens. It is a horticultural paradise and the best display garden in the world. Just don't invite my neighbor unless you want those trees chopped down into massive doorstops. Take a number, we all want to shoot her.
