A winter fantasy awaits visitors

KENNETT SQUARE, PA –    A winter fantasy awaits guests to Longwood Gardens near Kennett Square, PA, November 22 through January 6, 2008.  Thousands of poinsettias accented with amaryllis, narcissus, begonias, cyclamen, and tulips flourish inside the 4.5-acre heated Conservatory. Elegantly decorated, snow-kissed trees shimmer and sparkle with festive flair. Outdoors, 500,000 lights decorate the gardens and ice skating performances return to Longwood’s picturesque Chimes Tower as up-and-coming and professional skaters perform throughout the day and evening.

Holiday splendor indoors and out

            Longwood gives each visitor a present only Longwood can give—acres of indoor gardens blooming in the midst of winter. Thousands of poinsettias and fragrant narcissi form rivers of red through drifts of floral snow. Longwood’s gifted gardeners grow the poinsettias in several shapes and sizes: five-foot-wide hanging baskets, single-stem plants, and standards up to four feet tall.          

Longwood’s stately Music Room will be transformed into a shimmering winter wonderland of its own. Inside, a stately 16-ft Fraser Fir tree adorned with glistening icicles and ivory ornaments creates an aura of unmatched elegance. Visitors will marvel at an elegant table set for a festive holiday dinner party, including dramatic flower arrangements, fine china and holiday lighting.
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            The Exhibition Hall Stage boasts Longwood’s signature poinsettia tree, while glimmering icicles fall from the ceiling of the Exhibition Hall. The East Conservatory’s giant 26-foot Douglas Fir tree stands proudly in the Patio of Oranges, adorned with a dazzling silver garland and red and snowy white ornaments.

            Lavish decorations bedeck of the entire Conservatory, complementing its massive proportions and architectural details with grand-scale wreaths and swags created with a rich palette of fragrant dried and fresh horticultural materials. Living wreaths offer a new interpretation of holiday evergreens, with bromeliads, succulents, orchids, begonias and poinsettias planted in large moss-stuffed frames.  

The Palm House features a miniature railway weaving its way through the lush foliage. In Longwood’s Estate Fruit House, expert floral designer Jim Showers of Elizabethtown, PA and ceramics artist Sara Meadows of Kennett Square, PA create an arctic playground, featuring icebergs, a snow-frosted tree and frolicking penguins preparing for holiday festivities.

Longwood works its holiday magic outdoors, too. More than 500,000 outdoor lights adorning 88 trees in classical and free-style forms enchant both young and old. Fountains dance day and night to holiday music in the Open Air Theatre (weather permitting) beneath glimmering starry snowflakes. Ice skating shows in the day and evening feature professional and up-and-coming skaters performing on Longwood’s outdoor ice rink near the historic Chimes Tower. (To ensure seating, special tickets ($4 for individuals, $3 for Garden Passholder & Groups) are required to view the skating performances.)

Natural edible ornaments adorn the Wildlife Tree created especially for Longwood’s feathered and furry friends. The Gardener’s Tree features ornaments crafted from garden findings, including gourds, seedpods, and cones and topiary reindeer frolic in the geometric beauty of the nearby Topiary Garden. 

Enjoy the sounds of the season with concerts, carolers and more

The sounds of the season fill the gardens indoors and out. Festive afternoon Organ Sing-along concerts return this year to Longwood’s elegant Ballroom. Area choral groups and bell choirs share holiday favorites at 7 pm and 8 pm. On select days, carolers stroll the gardens playing favorite holiday music. On December 29, 30 and January 1, 5 and 6, New Year’s in Old Vienna features festive organ waltzes.

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            Daytime strollers can also enjoy the sounds of bells emanating from Longwood’s historic Chimes Tower. A carillon with 62 cast bells plays holiday music every half hour during daylight hours.

            On Friday, November 23, 7-8 pm, the Philadelphia NBC-TV affiliate Channel 10 presents its annual live holiday broadcast hosted by NBC 10 news anchors and featuring performances by Boyz II Men. 

Decorated trees from local schools

Longwood invites local schools to participate in its holiday festivities by decorating trees for the display. This year the 21 schools participating include: 

Avon Grove Charter School, West Grove, PA

Avon Grove Intermediate School, Jennersville, PA

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