Longwood Gardens in August - Pt. III

     I was fortunate to have all the time I needed to see Longwood when I was there in August. However, if you visit and are on a tight schedule, make sure you see the Conservatory first. Imagine you had unlimited funds (like a DuPont fortune), and wanted to build one of the largest conservatories in the world, fill it with over 5000 plant species, add numerous water features, throw in a pipe organ, create an orchid collection, make part of it tall enough for a palm house, add a bonsai collection, grow a fruit garden and much, much more - then you can imagine Longwood's Conservatory.

     My favorite part of the conservatory, other than all the general over-the-topness, is the Waterlily Display. I was lucky enough to be there while people were working and got to poke through their refuse bin and see the underside of Victoria ‘Longwood Hybrid’. The chamber-like structure was fascinating and the thorns were a surprise. 

     I laid down on my belly, legs sprawled out behind me, to take pictures of the waterlilies, unconcerned as to how I looked. When I saw this family of "plain folk", I only pretended to take pictures of waterlilies and instead took two of my favorite photos, ever. They composed themselves, without asking, as if they were posing for a Dutch painter.

     I have one Longwood post left, and you can see my first two are here and here.