An unapologetic plant geek shares advice and opinions on gardening, the contrived and the natural landscape, as well as occasional topics from the other side of the gate.

December 9, 2013

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.

Conservatory

Conservatory - Orangery (3)

Conservatory - East Conservatory (4)

Conservatory - Acacia Passage

Conservatory - East Conservatory (5)

Conservatory - Orangery (4)

Conservatory - Orangery (1)

Conservatory - Tropical Terrace - Codiaeum variegatum var. pictum 'Miss Peters'

Conservatory - Rose House - Acalypha hispida

Conservatory - Tropical Terrace (5)

Conservatory - Tropical Terrace (4)

Conservatory - Tropical Terrace (2)

Conservatory - Cattleya g. Valentine 'Coerulea'

Conservatory - Habenaria rhodocheila

Conservatory - Silver Garden (2)

     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. 
Conservatory - Waterlily Display -  (3)

Conservatory - Waterlily Display -  (7)

Conservatory - Waterlily Display - Victoria

Conservatory - Waterlily Display -  Victoria Underside

Conservatory - Waterlily Display - Nymphaea 'Mrs. George H. Pring'

Conservatory - Waterlily Display - Nymphaea 'Marmorata'

Conservatory - Waterlily Display -  Nymphaea 'Director George T. Moore'

     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.
Conservatory - Waterlily Display - Good Timing (2)

Conservatory - Waterlily Display - Good Timing (1)

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

20 comments:

  1. I simply adore the last two shots! What a wonderful moment.

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    1. Gravy, there I times when I know I am in the right place and right time to photograph, and when this group walked in I knew it.

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  2. That structure is exactly what I need to built over my lot - no more winter worries! Seriously though it's amazing, and great photo work as always.

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    1. Loree, this conservatory is so large and so tall that you do feel as if you are still outside, and I know my entire garden, house included, would fit in one of its rooms.

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  3. One of my favorite places. Thank you for some marvelous photos. And the Plain Folk are so beautiful. When we were there in the fall, Amish were also part of our tour. Lovely. I can't wait to go again next year. I never get enough of the place. It is meditation heaven. Wherever we look, wherever we point our cameras.

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    1. Shenandoah, I want to go back as well. I think I would love to see it in spring.

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  4. Seriously, there's a pipe organ?

    I've never seen a conservatory anywhere close to the scale of that one. So many beautiful and unusual plants. The shots of the waterlilies are stunning.

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    1. Yes Sweetbay, there is a pipe organ, as well as an automated grand piano. I heard the piano as I was walking by, but had too many plants to see to sit and listen.

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  5. Paradise! I can see why you broke this gorgeous botanic garden into 3 posts. It's odd to see tropical flowers with all the snow out my window. I love the last shot especially - what a sweet moment to witness.

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    1. Sarah, I have one more post left and it could prove to be the most colorful, it might even shake off someone's seasonal affective disorder.

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  6. I suppose they have a few more gardeners than thou. The aquatic garden is immaculate and awesome!

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    1. Yes, they do indeed have a few more gardens than mine own.

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  7. Wow. Makes the conservatories in our area look almost amateur. Gorgeous pictures.

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    1. Jason, Longwood does it right. I would love to see their famous Christmas display.

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  8. At first I was going to gush over the water lilies and their scary under belly, (and I still can), but the winner of this post is the little boy in the last picture: his posture is remarkable; you couldn't stage it if you tried! And he knows he has an audience of all the women around him! What a lucky moment for you to capture, Less.

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    1. Chav., I do feel really lucky to get that shot.

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  9. The first time I ever saw I plant I wanted to remember and maybe grow someday if I ever had a garden was in a container outside the Longwood Conservatory. I still have the magazine clipping — though I never tried the plant. The underside of the waterlily is fabulous. I've never seen the bottom of any of those unusual big-leaved types.

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    1. Linda, I would love to know what plant it was that caught your attention. As to the Victoria waterlily, I was not expecting the underside to look like that. It is different from any other plant I know.

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  10. I spy some of Isabelle Greene's silver garden in the conservatory. And the water lilies look scrumptiously edible. If only we'd all dress alike, there'd be more amazing photo ops for you to capture!

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  11. In the first photo with the Amish, the docent is showing them how Neptunia oleracea foliage closes up when touched. Between the sensitive foliage and the swollen, cotton-y, water-logged stems, my children often spend hours on their bellies exploring the edges of these water gardens.
    Next time you visit Longwood in the warmer months, be sure to run your hand across the Neptunia.

    http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=d664

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