Chimes 308

LONGWOOD CHIMES 308

Features

End Notes

Agriculture, including acres of farm fields to gardens dedicated to producing food crops, has played an important role in our history. In this issue we look at our agricultural heritage, our current practices, and our future vision. From the original Longwood Farms, to how our current agronomic practices are embracing notable sustainable techniques, to a future that includes expanding our Ornamental Kitchen Garden and the recent reacquisition of a neighboring property with agricultural ties, our roots to our farming heritage remain an important part of the Longwood story.

6 Full Circle

The Gardens reunite with an adjacent property.

By Jourdan Cole

8 Against the Grain Fourth-generation farmer strives to think differently.

By Lynn Schuessler

12

A Culture of Agriculture Sustainable protocols and community collaborations lead our evolving agricultural practices.

By Kate Santos, Ph.D. and Lea Johnson, Ph.D.

28

Beauty in Abundance

There’s much on the horizon with our redesigned Ornamental Kitchen Garden.

By Katie Mobley

48

Thank You

We gratefully acknowledge the generosity of our Longwood Innovators.

18

A Fertile Season Recounting “Farmer du Pont’s” agricultural legacy at Longwood.

By Kelli Stewart

34

The Art of the Conservatory Garden

A new director brings dramatic changes to the indoor landscapes at Longwood.

By Colvin Randall

22

Field Survey

A visual survey of historic farm tools and equipment from the Longwood Archives.

By Daniel Traub

Longwood’s commitment to conservation is central to our recent acquisition of a 7.4-acre adjacent property, which formerly housed a winery, as reflected in this metal work shaped into vines. Photo by Hank Davis.

Full Circle

The

By Jourdan Cole

Gardens reunite with an adjacent property.

Photos by Hank Davis.

Sustainability

In a mission-driven effort of conservation— and marking a true full-circle moment— Longwood recently acquired the former Galer Estate Vineyard and Winery property, adjacent to our property. This strategic purchase of the 7.4-acre property with captivating views is more than a mere augmentation—it stands as a testament to our commitment to conservation.

Rich with local and agricultural history, this property has contributed to the economy, identity, and culture of our region. Coming full circle, this marks the second

time Longwood has owned the property. Initially acquired from the O’Neal family in 1994 when it had fallen into disuse and disrepair, Longwood then sold it in 1998 to the Sower family, who began cultivating the land for use as a vineyard. Subsequently, it changed hands to its most recent owners, the Galers, in 2008. “A fusion of past and present, this purchase demonstrates our dedication to conserving land, preserving beauty, and embracing history,” shares President and CEO of Longwood Gardens Paul B. Redman.

Keeping the preservation of green space at the forefront of this purchase, we are now evaluating long-term plans for the property. Though wine production has ceased, Longwood guests will have a limited opportunity to savor the remaining Galer Estate wine while dining at 1906 and The Café.

Steadfast in our mission, it is the generous support of our Innovators, Members, and guests that allows us to continue to preserve and nurture our cultural landscape.

Against the Grain

Fourth-generation farmer strives to think differently.

By Lynn Schuessler

The morning mist at Meadow Spring Farm, peaceful and promising, brings back memories of a young boy named Jamie Hicks who once raised calves before school, paid for his own truck at the age of 16, and loved to “ride tractor” with his dad.

Today this fourth-generation farmer is owner-operator of Hicks IV, a crop farming business named for his own four young boys. Along with his dad, four hired hands, and additional part-time help in peak season, Hicks farms about 5,000 acres, owning 30 and leasing the rest from more than 100 landowners, including 150 acres at Longwood Gardens. “I treat every acre like I own it myself,” he says.

Hicks raises half crops and half hay, including corn and soybeans for a dairy farm in Cochranville, hay for nearby horse farms, and non-GMO corn for a chicken farm that produces eggs for Whole Foods. At Longwood his rotation of crops includes corn, soybeans, wheat, barley, and sorghum.

Sorghum is the “newest” crop, an ancient grain making a comeback because of its high fiber, antioxidant, and gluten-free health benefits. It also makes for healthy soil—a passion that Hicks shares with Longwood’s Agriculture, Soils, and Compost team, whose in-house compost, now available for sale, has received the

Seal of Testing Assurance from the US Composting Council. In late October, Hicks spent two full days spreading Longwood compost before planting the winter cover crop.

“We used to spray in the fall to keep the land ‘clean’ for spring planting,” he says. “Now we apply compost and plant cover crops, which we can harvest for use by dairy farms. More roots in the ground means more biomass for microbes and healthier soil. When you have the soil working for you, you can do more with less—increasing yields while decreasing inputs (fertilizer). There’s only so much land, but increased efficiency and profit can come from the soil.”

Hicks’ Longwood connection dates back to his dad and uncle, who farmed the land in the 90s. Other farmers worked the land for a while, but when the job opened up in 2006–2007, Hicks submitted a proposal. “I was terrible at paperwork,” he admits. “But I loved farming, so I got the contract and we’ve been farming it ever since.”

Hicks also earned a degree in agricultural business management from Penn State. “But there’s no textbook for farming,” he says. “You have to do it.” Collaborating with Longwood researchers has inspired him to look at things from a unique angle, to try something different— whether it involves sunflowers, heirloom corn, sorghum, or soil.

Hicks points to a roll of brown paper on the table in his office. “That paper represents roots in soil, biomass, and innovation-plus. I think farmers need to take the next step and industrialize—turn agricultural byproducts into something useful, and grow through different markets. But it takes the right person to make it work. One of the benefits of working with Longwood is making those connections.”

Because of his “entrepreneurial drive, sustainable farming practices, and innovative partnerships,” Hicks was recognized as 2022 Chester County Farmer of the Year. When asked about the impact of that award, his smile speaks for itself. “That was good,” he says.

But when asked what advice he would give to young farmers, Hicks has a bit more to say. “Don’t be afraid to be different. Even though your grandfather did things a certain way, think outside the box. Talk to other farmers. We want the next generation of farmers to keep their land, rather than sitting down with an investor. We want them to love their land.”

Hicks is taking his own advice—doing something not only against the grain, but for it. “Our livelihood is to take care of the soil and produce a crop that takes care of us,” he says.

Newberry.

“This area has lots of organizations that provide access to land and opportunities,” says Hicks, citing Stroud Water Research’s study of cover crops and stream health. Or Penn State’s research into growing industrial hemp. Or SUNY’s use of naturally fermented rye to make chemical-free, biodegradable paper.

As morning mist gives way to full sun and bright foliage, Hicks looks to the tasks of the day, and wonders if his sons (ages 12, 10, 7, and 4) will carry the tradition of farming into future seasons.

“It’s a farmer’s dream, and a good lifestyle,” he says. “It’s been bred into me, and I see it in my kids. I don’t force them. They’re big into ice hockey, and I tell them they should go play with their friends … but sometimes they’d rather ‘run farm’ with me.”

Waist high in sorghum on Longwood agricultural ground, Jamie Hicks embodies both the legacy of the land and the innovation needed to carry it into the future. Photo by Meghan

Foggy morning view of the Abbondi property, a part of the natural lands at Longwood.

Photo by Daniel Traub.

A CULTURE of AGRICULTURE

Sustainable protocols and community collaborations lead our evolving agricultural practices.

By Kate Santos, Ph.D. and Lea Johnson, Ph.D.

Need captions…

Photo by Meghan Newberry.

A field of sorghum ready for harvest at Longwood. Photo by Meghan Newberry.

The agricultural lands at Longwood Gardens are iconic representations of the beauty of the Brandywine Valley landscape. Crop and hay fields surround Longwood’s tended gardens with historic landscapes and picturesque views. They also present a unique opportunity to develop a sustainable approach to agriculture that integrates production with the natural systems of the landscape and the region, ensuring the health and longevity of our agricultural lands as well as our forests, meadows, watersheds, gardens, and neighboring communities. This holistic approach ensures a broader perspective to inform our actions and define best practices with relevance to our region.

Our commitment to stewarding agricultural lands extends to our recent acquisition of the 505-acre cultural landscape Longwood at Granogue in nearby Wilmington, DE. This picturesque property also has a long agrarian legacy that we look forward to aligning with our ongoing commitment to sustainability.

At Longwood, we dedicate approximately 150 of our nearly 1,100 acres to agriculture, which we manage using an innovative combination of sustainable practices and community collaboration. We partner with local farmer Jamie Hicks, owneroperator of Hicks IV, who integrates sustainable farming practices to produce crops for our local community (see page 6 for more about Hicks).

The goals of our agricultural land management are fundamentally simple: to leave the land in better condition and to strive for continual improvement. We aim to produce a robust harvest for the local market using farming practices that improve our soil health year over year. To understand our progress and impact, we track key measures of soil health, such as organic matter content

and nutrient concentrations across every field. Based on the results of these tests, we adjust and amend our practices accordingly. For example, in fields where we want to enrich our organic matter content, we spread either compost generated in-house or surplus soils collected from garden changeovers. This provides a sustainable outlet for these materials and improves the organic matter content in our field soils.

We conserve and enhance the fertility and stability of our soils by rotating crops, implementing no-till management practices, and using cover cropping between production seasons. Our crop rotations include traditional grains such as sorghum, corn, wheat, and oats, in addition to oilseeds like soybeans. We envision opportunities in the future to build on our support for the needs of the local market with new kinds of agricultural production that could include seed production of native plants for ecological restoration, cut flowers for our floral designs, expanding farm-to-table crops for our restaurant, or other crop innovations.

Like soil conservation, care for water quality is an essential component of sustainable agriculture—and a key focus of stewardship for our natural and agricultural lands. Our Land Stewardship and Ecology program, which closely interfaces with our agricultural practices, has recently mapped more than 200 plant communities across the 750 acres of land that surround our formal gardens. Analysis of these plant community maps revealed places where we could cool and clean streams adjacent to our agricultural fields through reforestation.

In fall 2023 we planted more than 1,200 trees to shade a first-order tributary of Bennett’s Run that runs along the edge of one of our fields. This planting will not only

We dedicate approximately 150 of our nearly 1,100 acres to agriculture, which we manage using an innovative combination of sustainable practices and community collaboration.

contribute to water quality but is part of our broader effort to connect and expand forest fragments and improve wildlife habitat. This young forest is also designed to offer food and shelter rapidly, and to test the hardiness of native plants from farther south to see whether they thrive with the warmer winters we’ve been experiencing. The work of land stewardship is dynamic, requiring evolution of our practices as we learn more about our ecosystems and how they are responding to environmental change.

One of our hay fields, in its role as the final outlet for our wastewater treatment facility, illustrates another aspect of water management. Not only does the field provide an annual harvest and a habitat for our native pollinators, it also allows us to naturally recharge our watershed by spraying it with purified water from the wastewater treatment plant.

We also support habitats in the interstitial areas between our fields and our natural areas by using a diversified approach, such as working closely with our farmer on hay harvest timing to ensure ground nesting birds are undisturbed until after the young have fledged in the spring, keeping some crops in place longer to help redirect deer populations away from the gardens (and our spring bulbs!), or planting native wildflowers along field edges to support our native pollinators.

Agriculture has a strong tie to our legacy at Longwood and also to the history of this region (see page 16), but it is also a key part of our future. We recognize the importance of continuing to research and implement new and innovative practices that restore our lands and nourish our community. We aspire for the evolution of our agricultural program to advance—together—our story of conservation, sustainability, and beauty.

Opposite: View of a crop field in early winter following harvest. Photo by Daniel Traub.

The planting of this young forest will not only contribute to water quality but is part of our broader effort to connect and expand forest fragments and improve wildlife habitat.

This page and opposite: In fall 2023 we planted more than 1,200 trees to shade a first-order tributary of Bennett’s Run that borders one of our fields. Photos by Meghan Newberry.

A Fertile Season

Left to right: Vegetable garden report, June 1931; Luncheon in the Exhibition Hall featuring the garden produce of Longwood Farms; Livestock inventory, July 1923; Longwood produce was sold to employees, often via Farm Division charge slips like this one; Operated by longtime Longwood electrician Lawrence

Greeley, this truck was photographed and preserved in his personal scrapbook; Longwood Farms kept pedigree Berkshire hogs, carefully selected for breed excellence; Turkeys on Longwood farm; William M. Francis with Oxen, 1907; Careful records were kept of the Guernseys’ milk output.

Recounting “Farmer du Pont’s” agricultural legacy at Longwood.

By Kelli Stewart

“In general the plan will be to bring the farm to a first-class condition…”

With these words, Pierre S. du Pont commissioned farm manager Joseph Baily to take the run-down agricultural acres of his new property and transform it into a well-run operation. Instructing his first farm employee to “go over carefully the farm and lay out a plan of work,” he set up the rhythm of care and collaboration that would distinguish Longwood Farms throughout the following decades. As with so many of his pursuits, Pierre’s years as farmer would be marked by his pervasive drive for excellence and generous spirit of community.

When Mr. du Pont and Joseph Baily began their work in 1906, years of neglect had reduced the once-productive Peirce acreage to a collection of run-down outbuildings and horse nettle-ridden fields. Working quickly, Baily introduced livestock operations, including hogs and a steerfattening operation to the farm in 1907.

They were kept in the original Peirce barn, west of the current site of the Open Air Theatre, and grazed on the still-named “Cow Lot” in the heart of the gardens we now know. By 1908, a new barn was built south of the current site of the conservatory to expand the operations, and by 1909, the herd had quadrupled to 60 head. Crops in the field included hay, wheat, ensilage, corn, and potatoes, and an extensive vegetable garden also flourished west of the main house. In 1911, Mr. du Pont hired Ambrose Alexander as the first full-time vegetable gardener, even building a house for him to live on the property.

Throughout the 1910s, the livestock, field crop, and vegetable operations began to be edged out by the expansions of the house, flower garden, and entertainment spaces. As opportunities arose to purchase surrounding farms, Pierre added to Longwood’s acreage and began to shift and expand his agricultural adventures. With new farmland stretching north to route 926 and west to route 52 and even south of route 1, the farm’s leadership also changed: Malcolm Farquhar succeeded Joseph Baily as farm manager in 1912, and Douglas Gilpin joined as assistant farm manager in

1915. In addition to steers and registered Berkshire hogs, Hereford cattle were added to the farm, producing high quality beef –and manure. Douglas Gilpin would later point out that the ready source of fertilizer for his flower gardens was likely Mr. du Pont’s main motive for keeping the cattle!

The existing flock of chickens was expanded and joined by ducks, pheasants, pigeons, and guinea fowl, moving first to the former Merrick Farm and by 1919, to the former Frederick farm south of Route 1. Carefully selected and registered with the American Guernsey Cattle Club, a dairy herd of Guernsey cows arrived in the 1910s and settled by 1928 in new barns designed for their use on the former Webb Farm. As with all Longwood livestock, the breeding and selection of animals was carefully managed and rewarded often with ribbons and recognition from professional breeders’ organizations. In 1925, Longwood Farms even hosted the Eastern Guernsey Breeders Association Field Day, with a full schedule of animal judging, professional exchanges, and a celebratory luncheon on the Fern Floor in the Main Conservatory. Though Mr. du Pont demanded careful accounting of each animal and acre, he gave his staff the

space and resources to pursue excellence. Douglas Gilpin’s Guernsey breeding program was so successful that one of his heifers was selected for exhibition at a dairy display at the 1939 World’s Fair in New York. Less than a day after arriving at the exhibition grounds, the cow gave birth to a calf, and the pair became the stars of the fair’s bovine population! Reportedly not a milk drinker, Pierre nonetheless delighted in the high quality of his dairy’s output. Gilpin later recalled that Pierre indulged in some good-natured ribbing of his cousin Henry Francis du Pont, claiming that his Winterthur herd of Holsteins produced “skim milk” compared to Longwood’s rich Guernsey cream!

That good Longwood Farms milk was produced in great quantity, and Mr. du Pont made a careful point of keeping it for his employees’ use. Rather than sell it in a broader market where he feared his “gentleman farming” might take business away from local family farms, he distributed it to his own farm employees. As a farmer who looked more to excellence than revenue, Pierre wrote to an agriculturally minded correspondent that the dairy “of course, does not make a profit, but the

employees are assured of a good milk supply at no greater cost than they would be obliged to pay elsewhere.” Other crops were grown to be shared, as well. Surplus potatoes were regularly donated to hospitals in Wilmington and West Chester. In 1943, head vegetable gardener Fred Miller reported canning output that included 359 cans of lima beans; 5,597 cans of peaches; 2,579 cans of tomatoes; and 1,216 cans of corn. By that time, Mr. du Pont had built or refurbished more than 100 tenant houses for his farm and gardens staff, and the families who lived in them would later recall sharing the bounty of the farm’s output. What the operations may have lacked in profit, they more than recouped in the spirit of generous community that flourished on the property.

In addition to building community among his employees, Pierre sought the fellowship of other industrialists-cumfarmers through the esteemed Farmers’ Club. With a small membership including railroad executives, former senators, and other family leaders with long roots in the Philadelphia area, the club offered Pierre a chance to share the excitement of his horticultural and agricultural curiosity with

others of like mind. The minutes of one meeting in 1929 reported that “Farmer du Pont” had shared news of “a most interesting experiment” to transport and transplant Sequoia trees from California. Minutes from 1932 and 1934 document Farmer du Pont’s updates on the experiment, including the unfortunate conclusion that his Pennsylvania soil was not conducive to the trees’ flourishing. Their meetings were clearly marked with mutual enjoyment, as evidenced by a pair of humorously poetic cartoons drawn by former senator George Wharton Pepper for Pierre’s benefit.

By the early 1950s, a combination of unfavorable income tax laws and Pierre’s declining interest meant that the farm operations wound down. The famous Guernsey herd was sold at a well-attended auction, and former farm employees were transitioned wherever possible to positions in the gardens and facilities upkeep. By the time Mr. du Pont died in 1954, his farm operations had become part of his legacy of excellence and care. Through the careful records he left and the memories of many of his employees’ “Longwood kids,” we will continue to tell the stories of this fertile season in the history of our place.

Left to right: George W. Pepper in costume of a farmer. Pepper made the two sketches (left and above) of P.S. du Pont as “Farmer du Pont” for the Farmers Club, to which they both belonged; Meeting of Eastern Guernsey Breeder’s Association Field Day at Longwood, May 29, 1925; In the background are Longwood Farms records, courtesy Hagley Museum & Library.

Photos by Daniel Traub.

As with all farm equipment, Longwood Farms tools were objects of utility: used and repaired and used again until they could no longer perform the needed function. The objects that have been preserved from the farm’s operational years offer glimpses into an active, productive orchard, fields, vegetable garden, and dairy. Pieces of a fruit press speak to bushels of apples and peaches that were processed into cider and jam; wheels of spreaders harken back to field crops of hay and alfalfa. Rusted milk cans and horse shoes remind us the Webb Barn was an active dairy, and the Meadow Garden was once plowed by teams of horses.

SURVEY

BEAUTY in ABUNDANCE

There’s much on the horizon with our redesigned Ornamental Kitchen Garden.

By Katie Mobley

Above: This May 2023 view of the Ornamental Kitchen Garden shows a playful juxtaposition between the structure of one of the garden’s trellises and the geometric precision of the new West Conservatory, rising just beyond. Photo by Daniel Traub.

Left: Senior Horticulturist Alex Correia in the Ornamental Kitchen Garden.

Photo by Carol Gross.

Additional photos by Alex Correia, Carol Gross, Scott Hummel, and Becca Mathias.

With the Ornamental Kitchen Garden’s redesign, we are changing its layout to make it more accessible, featuring prominent central pathways along its rows of crops.

In our Ornamental Kitchen Garden, a dynamic space dedicated to growing edible crops since 1927, we not only showcase educational and experimental approaches to growing one’s own culinary garden, but share the fruits (and vegetables and herbs) of our labor with our community. With the reimagination of this space, set to reopen to guests in the coming months, there’s much beauty, much purpose, and much abundance on the horizon.

Located within the Idea Garden, on the western edge of the formal gardens and just outside of the soon-to-be West Conservatory and Longwood Reimagined landscapes, the Ornamental Kitchen Garden blends the formal with the less formal and notably the agrarian. Here, we share techniques for growing crops with our guests; edible varieties, both common and unusual, grown alongside cut flowers to fruit trees; and we tell an agricultural story that food production is an important part of horticulture.

With the Ornamental Kitchen Garden’s redesign, we are changing its layout to make it more accessible, featuring prominent central pathways along its rows of crops; expanding its footprint and increasing its production space by 25 percent; and adding

such beautiful (and functional) elements as a new fence featuring 16 espaliered apple and peach trees.

“Kitchen gardens have a unique ability to connect guests of all ages with plants and cultivated spaces,” shares Longwood’s Associate Director, Landscape Architecture and Program Design Erin Feeney—who has been instrumental in the garden’s planning. “Their intriguingly patterned partitioned rows entice exploration; their structures showcase craft of the human hand; and their beautiful and unusual cultivars of familiar crops sustain us and display the variety of the natural world.”

Upon its opening, the Ornamental Kitchen Garden will support the growth and production of more than 200 rotating fruit, vegetable, and herb crops each year, from Mediterranean culinary herbs to such staples as salad greens and tomatoes. The southern half of the garden will be largely dedicated to cut flowers grown to be used by our floral design team, as well as to help create a balanced ecosystem within the Ornamental Kitchen Garden as a whole, inviting beneficial insects to the space and promoting diverse life in the garden.

Not only are we growing for beauty and ecosystem diversity—we’re growing for

Opposite: Since 2020, we have proudly grown and donated nearly 12,000 pounds of food to local nonprofit Kennett Area Community Service—and will continue our efforts in the renewed Ornamental Kitchen Garden. Photo by Alex Correia.

Below: Early sketch by Senior Horticulturist Alex Correia shows a planting plan for the Ornamental Kitchen Garden.

good. Under the leadership of Senior Horticulturist Alex Correia, crops grown in our Ornamental Kitchen Garden are grown and harvested for, and delivered to, Kennett Area Community Service (KACS) in Kennett Square—a nonprofit focusing on food, housing, and crisis services in Southern Chester County. We began growing crops for KACS in 2020 as part of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Harvest 2020 program, designed to engage gardeners in the region to grow crops to share with their communities and help address households in the greater Philadelphia region that are food insecure and unable to access healthy, fresh food on a daily basis.

Following the Harvest 2020 initiative, we have proudly continued our relationship with KACS … and, to date, have grown, harvested, and delivered nearly 12,000 pounds of food to the organization. From late May through late October, our students and volunteers harvest ready crops each week; our restaurant shares some of its refrigerator space to store items; and Night

Gardeners Cristian Quintino and Josh Finley make weekly deliveries of such in-demand items as salad greens, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, and much more. “It’s important that we grow and bring only high-quality items to KACS,” shares Correia. “We’ve gotten feedback that our donations are some of the best produce they receive.” Correia even takes into account feedback from KACS on what produce their clients are looking for when planning her crops, growing such KACS-requested items as tomatillos and papalo.

Upon the Ornamental Kitchen Garden’s reopening, we’ll also continue to raise crops—from strawberries to cherries and ginger to peaches—for use in our Longwood Seasons brews. We’ve grown ingredients for these unique botanically inspired beers in partnership with Victory Brewing Company since summer 2015— often juicing or pureeing the harvest to send off to Victory for production—to serve in our Beer Garden and at select Victory Brewing Company locations.

We’ll also continue to use some of our crops in The Café—with plans to highlight more seasonal crops from our Ornamental Kitchen Garden in the future, upon the opening of Longwood Reimagined and our new 1906 Restaurant. “Utilizing ingredients as fresh and as hyper-local as those grown in our Ornamental Kitchen Garden is exactly how I like to cook and how we strive to highlight the best of what’s in season,” shares 1906 Executive Chef Will Brown. “What’s grown here in the garden is the ultimate in fresh and local.”

Edible crops and cut flowers will certainly be beautiful and bountiful in the Ornamental Kitchen Garden upon its opening this spring … as will the reasons behind why we maintain such a dynamic, multi-faceted kitchen garden. In this newly redesigned space, we will continue to educate our guests on growing technique; encourage guests to create or expand upon their own kitchen gardens; share the beauty and ecological importance of edible crops; and connect with our community while helping to fulfill a need—all in abundance.

Left: Senior Horticulturist Alex Correia takes a balanced ecosystem approach in her planning— and planting—of the Ornamental Kitchen Garden.

Photo by Carol Gross.

Opposite: Our Ornamental Kitchen Garden serves as an educational space, with handmade structures serving not only as beautiful elements of the garden, but representations of how structures can amplify the practice of growing food.

Photo by Daniel Traub.

The Art of the Conservatory Garden

A new director brings dramatic changes to the indoor landscapes at Longwood.

By Colvin Randall

View of early plantings and four of the 16 waterfalls in the Cascade Garden, designed by Brazilian landscape designer Roberto Burle Marx with Conrad Hamerman. The garden officially opened to the public on January 14, 1993. Photo by Larry Albee.

In 1986 Longwood Gardens began a master planning process under the guidance of then chief executive Fred Roberts (b. 1942, Director 1984–2006). Roberts’ strong public garden experiences, first at Kingswood Center in Mansfield, Ohio, and then the Worcester County (Massachusetts) Horticultural Society, helped him to guide the staff in the implementation of a strategic vision to become a great display garden of the world.

New indoor gardens were underway almost immediately, plant collections were reevaluated, and staff embarked on trips to notable gardens in the US and abroad in an effort to not only reinvigorate but to create new visitor experiences.

The greenhouse south of the East Conservatory that had housed the changing Example Gardens from 1973 to 1985 and a temporary nine-country WorldFare exhibit in November and December 1985 was redesigned to suggest a “cottage garden designed by an Englishman living in South Africa.” It also took inspiration from the meandering Mélisande’s Allée at Dumbarton Oaks in Washington, DC. Overall design was coordinated by planning manager Landon Scarlett, with input from consulting landscape architect Sir Peter Shepheard, a planting plan devised by Longwood Fellow

By 1985, under Fred Roberts’ direction, the staff was reevaluating plant collections and thinking about rebuilding some of the smaller display greenhouses to create new visitor experiences.

Rob Halpern, and the gardening expertise of staff horticulturist Mary Allinson.

Longwood named it the Garden Path, with millstones at walkway crossings. It opened in May 1986 and recalled the exuberant Acacia Walk that bloomed in late winter in that location during Pierre du Pont’s time. Today the Garden Path is a year-round tapestry of subtropical color, texture, form, and fragrance that thrives despite the cool night temperatures of the East Conservatory.

Next came an indoor Children’s Garden. The entire three-house range south of the Garden Path had been devoted to espaliered fruit during Pierre du Pont’s time. In 1971, the first room closest to the Orangery was converted to bonsai and the third room turned into a holding house for plants awaiting display. Four years later the houses were unlocked so that visitors could enter rather than just look in. The holding house became an educational display of container plants, adjoining the remaining nectarine and bonsai houses.

In early 1986, Longwood Fellow Catherine Eberbach proposed a Children’s Landscape Exhibit in that container house, as a result of her graduate research. It was envisioned as a temporary experimental exhibit designed primarily for youngsters

from the first through fifth grades. It was under construction in January 1987 and opened in May of that year, the first such garden under glass in North America. An 11-turn maze, Tea Garden, five bubbledomed fountains, tree house, topiary animals, and a two-foot-high exit tunnel were instantly adored by children of all ages. It was redesigned by Eberbach and Mary Allinson in 1990 with new features, then it closed in 2003 for a complete redesign until reopening three times as large in 2007.

By 1985, the staff was reevaluating plant collections and thinking about rebuilding some of the smaller display greenhouses to rejuvenate structures as well as to create new visitor experiences. The 1921 greenhouse sheltering the 1958 Geographic House display was the first candidate. A completely new display was proposed, one that would allow more light and less heat into the adjoining Acacia Passage with its sun-loving, cooltemperature acacias. In 1986, curator of plants Rick Darke and Landon Scarlett spent six weeks in South Africa and took particular note of gray-foliaged plants of all kinds. Some were already featured in Longwood’s Desert House, but not as the main elements in a designed landscape. Scarlett had been especially impressed by one such garden in Santa Barbara,

The Garden Path under construction in early 1986.

The completed Garden Path in April 1989.

In early 1986, the Changing Display House was reenvisioned as a temporary experimental exhibit designed primarily for youngsters from the first through fifth grades.

The easternmost former Fruit House became a container house and was later renamed the Changing Display House. Above are container plants in 1981. At left are bonsai in the westernmost former Fruit House, 1992.

In early 1986, Longwood Fellow Catherine Eberbach proposed a Children’s Landscape Exhibit in the Changing Display House, as a result of her graduate thesis research. Photo by Larry Albee.

Right: Assembling the maze walls in the Children’s Garden, early 1987. Longwood staff, especially Mary Allinson, helped with the design and did all the construction and planting.

This page: Views of the finished Children’s Garden (clockwise from above) include a Holiday Rabbit Topiary, 1991; the Topiary Maze, 1988; and the Tree House and Fountains, 1988.

California. Its designer, Isabelle Greene, had already worked on numerous West Coast gardens and was invited to consult on the Longwood project. Construction was underway in 1988. Massive rocks were placed by crane when the roof was temporarily off, with rock specialist Keir Davidson on hand to aid in the positioning. The garden was completed by March 1989.

Longwood’s Silver Garden recalls a dry desert stream bed, as if seen from an airplane, with enormous boulders and a river of slate. Its 150 taxa (types of plants) total several thousand blue, gray, and silver specimens. It is a garden experience in the purest sense, a play of light and shade, structure and form, a work of art.

The idea of a greenhouse display as an artistic work was next applied to the 1957 Desert House, some of whose plants had been incorporated into the Silver Garden. In 1988, Roberto Burle Marx (1909–1994) was asked to redesign the former Desert House, in conjunction with Philadelphia-

based Conrad Hamerman. Burle Marx was arguably the most celebrated landscape designer of the twentieth century. He already had visited and lectured at Longwood several times, and Landon Scarlett and trustee William Frederick had visited him in Brazil. In 1989, conceptual drawings were approved, and the following year detailed planting and construction plans called for a unique mix of stone, textural contrasts, water, and “exploding” columnar plantings mimicking palm trees. Four Longwood staff then traveled to Brazil in 1991, and plants were procured there and from Florida and California. The new landscape was named the Cascade Garden (it had 16 waterfalls) and opened in June 1992.

The Cascade Garden was an artistic expression of elements found naturally in the tropical regions of South America, where moist air and steamy earth erupt in lush foliage to fill every conceivable space. It was richly planted with 150 taxa, especially bromeliads and aroids. Tree-trunk-like

columns covered with plants rose through the mist, filmy sheets of water cascaded down rock channels, and colorful foliage swept along the curving path. Air plants covered 35 tons of Pennsylvania mica, and 3,000 feet of heating cable kept tropical roots toasty during Pennsylvania winters. In 1992, music-lover Burle Marx compared Longwood’s many greenhouses to a symphony. The Cascade Garden, he noted, was a “crescendo, a finale to the experience.” It will find new life when it reopens in 2024 in a new glasshouse as part of Longwood Reimagined.

That “finale” was not the end to Longwood’s perpetual striving for horticultural excellence. In 1990, a Mediterranean Garden was first proposed for the two-compartment greenhouse (renovated in 1986) of cloud forest and food, fiber, and medicinal plants that connected the Orchid Display to the Palm House. In 1991, Rick Darke toured Australia and New Zealand for six weeks and focused

Planning and design manager Landon Scarlett proposed a completely new approach for the 1958 Geographic House display, one that would allow more light and less heat into the adjoining Acacia Passage with its sun-loving, cool-temperature acacias.

The Geographic House in 1986. Its tropical heat and heavy foliage were not ideal for the cool-temperature, sun-loving acacias next door.

Below: Rocks and an olive tree installed in the Silver Garden during the construction phase. Pictured are rock work consultant Keir Davidson (left) with landscape designer Isabelle Greene. In the background is the Banana/Orchid House, and at right the Acacia Passage. Photo by Larry Albee.

Moving in a mature olive tree, July 1988.

The former Geographic House without a roof as it was being transformed into the Silver Garden, July 1988.

The Silver Garden (seen here in November 1989) by California designer Isabelle Greene. It recalls a desert stream bed with enormous

boulders and a river of slate. Its 150 types of plants total several thousand blue, gray, and silver specimens. It is

a garden experience in the purest sense, a play of light and shade, structure and form, a work of art.

Photo by Larry Albee.

Clockwise from top left: The Desert House (subsequently named the Container House) before redesign as the Cascade

Garden; Constructing the Cascade Garden in 1992; Brazilian landscape designer Roberto Burle Marx (1909–1994) at the

grand opening of the Cascade Garden, 1992; The Cascade Garden was an artistic expression of elements found naturally

in the tropical regions of South America, where moist air and steamy earth erupt in lush foliage to fill every conceivable space.

Above: The Cloud Forest compartment had pitcher plants, bromeliads, and epiphytes, 1991. Some were destined for the Cascade Garden.

Left: The Food, Fiber, and Medicine compartment had economic plants plus gesneriads, 1990.

Previous pages: View north from the Orchid House into the glasshouse gardens leading to the Palm House, 1989.

Designer Ron Lutsko, Jr., in the new Mediterranean Garden, 1994.

Right: The Mediterranean Garden, May 2007.

on Mediterranean-type plants. Sharon Loving, Longwood’s indoor display specialist, visited six California designers, and Ron Lutsko, Jr., of San Francisco was chosen to create the garden. Lutsko had established his California landscape practice in 1981, successfully uniting contemporary aesthetics with ecological principles. To supply his Longwood project, a tractor trailer hauled 700 plants from California to Kennett Square in December 1992. The garden was planted and opened in early 1993.

The 100-foot-long Mediterranean Garden celebrated the beauty and diversity of plants from the five Mediterranean-like regions of the world: parts of California, Chile, south and west Australia, South Africa, and the Mediterranean coast. Designer Lutsko referenced Renaissance and Islamic garden forms within greenhouse traditions peculiar to Longwood. Tiny pools collected water dripping from above and channeled it to a central reservoir, recalling

rainfall of an arid climate. Stainless steel arbors alluded to the greenhouse roof structure, while a steel bench showed use of modern materials. The formal design was countered with chaparral-like plantings that were loose yet luxuriant. The 90 different types of plants ranged from giant South African proteas, ixias, and kangaroo-paws to California arbutus trees, an Australian bottlebrush, and echiums from the Canary Islands. These grew voluptuously in the pampered conditions of Longwood’s greenhouse. Later embellishments to the flora amplified the blooming scheme and schedule. The spirit of the Mediterranean Garden will live on in the much larger West Conservatory opening in 2024.

There was one project where the goal was not to create something new but to make sure that things looked as they always had, albeit incorporating the latest technology. Wayward water was the impetus to rebuild Longwood’s centerpiece, the

Orangery and Exhibition Hall. Rainwater was seeping into the 1921 structure, causing concrete to fall away from rusted steel. The roof glass was not shatterproof. Fertilizer water had corroded walkway grate supports and the utilities had grown chaotically. Reconstruction began in early 1995 with the removal of 3,500 cubic yards of soil in 10,400 loads. The roof was blasted with steel shot to remove paint, 260 tons of concrete were replaced, and 32 of 56 giant concrete columns were partially or totally remade. Below ground, 32 miles of pipe and conduit and 189 miles of wire were installed. The roof and windows were reglazed with 9,336 panes of glass weighing 38 tons. Replanted, the buildings opened in October 1996 looking as grand as ever. But the Conservatory renovations were far from over.

A Century of Floral Sun Parlors: Part Ten will appear in the next issue of Longwood Chimes

the precious

Reconstructing the Exhibition Hall (above) and Orangery (right), 1995–1996.

Above: The renovated Orangery, April 1997.

Thank You

We gratefully acknowledge the generosity of our Longwood Innovators: a community of dynamic leaders, curious learners, and visionaries in the spirit and tradition of our founder Pierre S. du Pont. Annual gifts from Innovators directly support Longwood’s mission of ensuring our Gardens bring joy and inspiration to everyone through the beauty of nature, conservation, and learning.

If you would like to support Longwood’s mission while enjoying a year’s worth of behind-the-scenes access and invitations to special Innovator-only events, please visit longwoodgardens.org/innovators or contact Director of Development Melissa Canoni at mcanoni@longwoodgardens.org or 610.388.5216.

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this list. If you notice an error or an omission, please contact Innovators@longwoodgardens.org

Franny and Franny Abbott

Philip and Kathleen Adelizzi

Ms. Adrienne Arsht

Jim and Janet Averill

Mr. Zachary J. Bagdon

Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. Bartlett, Jr.

Mrs. Maxwell Barus

Bear Gulch Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Bentley

Mr. Dean O. Berlon and Mr. Paul B. Redman

Dr. Nathan Billig and Dr. Gail Weinmann

Mr. and Mrs. J. Michael Bontrager

Mr. and Mrs. Christopher F. Buccini

Mr. and Mrs. R. Kent Cadwalader

Carroll M. Carpenter

Ms. Elizabeth Cartmell and Mr. Paul Zoubek

Ms. Carol Y. Chan and Mr. Daniel Chui

Mr. and Mrs. Birchard T. Clothier

Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Cone

Gerret and Tatiana Copeland

Ms. Phoebe Craven

James R. Damewood, Jr. and Robin W. Morgan

Eleanor L. Davis

Regis and Sofia de Ramel

Mr. and Mrs. Michael A. DeHaven

Ms. Debra DeMarco

Mr. and Mrs. James S. Denham IV

Mr. and Mrs. Donald DeWees, Jr.

Harry and Cristy DiDonato

Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin F. du Pont

Mr. Eleuthere I. du Pont and Ms. Darla Pomeroy

Mr. and Mrs. Henry B. du Pont IV

Mr. and Mrs. John E. B. du Pont

Dr. M. Lynne du Pont and Dr. David Solacoff

Mrs. Natalie A. du Pont Reese and Mr. Kleon Diamantopoulos

Mr. and Mrs. Pierre S. du Pont V

Mrs. Louisa C. Duemling

Mr. and Mrs. Andrew W. Edmonds, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Douglas T. Elliman III

Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Ellsworth

Ms. Pamela T. Farber and Mr. Jeffrey Johnson

Julia and Art Fisher

Ms. Rebecca Pott Fitton

Mrs. Leslie Fleischner

Mrs. Nancy G. Frederick

Gatter Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. Robert D. Glenn

Ann Granbery, A.S.L.A.

Nathan and Marilyn Hayward

Christine and George Henisee

Dr. and Mrs. Maury Hoberman

Mr. and Mrs. Peter A. Horty

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph H. Huston, Jr.

Ann S. and Steven B. Hutton

Mr. and Mrs. Michael January

Mrs. Sydney Jordan

Mr. Frank N. Jorgensen and Ms. Jane Sherwood

Mr. and Mrs. J. Gordon Kaiser

Ms. C. Victoria Kitchell

Mr. and Mrs. Paul Koehrsen

Rob and Jean Krapf

Mr. and Mrs. Michael E. Kullman

Dr. Margaret L. Laird and Mr. Philip J. Taylor III

Mr. Conrad Langenegger and Mrs. Sabrina du Pont-Langenegger

Mr. and Mrs. D. Christopher Le Vine

Ms. Renee Lewandowski

Mrs. Renee K. Lickle

Mrs. Carrie E. Lingo Padgett and Mr. M. Murray Padgett

Mr. and Mrs. Robert D. McNeil

Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Mehran

The Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Moran

Richard Morelli and Pamela Stephani

Mrs. Wilhelmina B. Moyer

Tammy and John Murabito

Aubree K. Murray

Dr. Karyn T. O'Neil

Hon. and Mrs. Donald Parsons

Clare Stephens Patel

Mr. and Mrs. Robert M. Peck

Jane G. Pepper

Mr. and Mrs. Blaine T. Phillips, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Timothy F. Rayne

Miss Vanessa Redman

Ms. Barbara S. Reese*

Philip S. Reese

Nancy and Donald Resnick

Reynolds Rencourt Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. Scott P. Riegel

Mr. and Mrs. Earl S. Rogers

Mr. and Mrs. Andrew C. Rose

Mrs. Sheila Ross

Ms. Susan Ross and Mr. Jeffrey Truka

Gregory and Karen Sawka

Mr. and Mrs. C. Porter Schutt III

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Semels

Mr. and Mrs. Eli R. Sharp

Mr. and Mrs. William M. W. Sharp

Sam and Happy Shipley

Valerie J. Sill

Margaretta K. Stabler

Dr. and Mrs. Michael Stillabower

Mr. and Mrs. William S. Tate

Peter and Susan Temple

Thornedge Foundation

Cynthia and Terrence Tobias

Torque Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. Michael G. Vadasz

Mr. and Mrs. Brock Vinton

Kristin and Brian Vrabel

Mrs. Susan Ward

Lee and Bill Warden

Jonathan and Vicki Warner

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas K. Whitford

A. Morris Williams, Jr. and Elaine W. Camarda

Ms. Diana S. Wister

Nancy and Greg Wolcott

Mr. and Mrs. J. Timothy Young

Longwood Chimes

No. 308 Winter 2024

Front and Back Cover

Unused milk caps for raw milk and cream were preserved after Longwood’s dairy operations shut down in the early 1950s and have been kept in the Archives. Affixed atop glass bottles, they would have sealed the raw milk and cream produced by Longwood Guernsey cows and processed first in the Merrick and later Webb Barn creamery. Rather than sell his dairy products commercially, Mr. du Pont made them available to his employees and their families, many of whom lived onsite.

Editorial Board

Sarah Cathcart

Jourdan Cole

Nick D’Addezio

Patricia Evans

Steve Fenton

Timothy Gould

Julie Landgrebe

Katie Mobley

Colvin Randall

Kelli Stewart

James S. Sutton

Kristina Wilson

Contributors This Issue

Longwood Staff and Volunteer Contributors

Kristina Aguilar

Plant Records Manager

Morgan Cichewicz

Sr. Graphic Designer

Hank Davis

Volunteer Photographer

Carol Gross

Multimedia Designer

Lea Johnson, Ph.D.

Associate Director, Land Stewardship and Ecology

Meghan Newberry

Volunteer Photographer

Kate Santos, Ph.D. Director, Science

Rachel Schnaitman

Associate Director, Horticultural Operations

Other Contributors

Lynn Schuessler

Copyeditor

Daniel Traub

Photographer

Distribution

Longwood Chimes is mailed to Longwood Gardens Staff, Pensioners, Volunteers, Gardens Preferred and Premium Level Members, and Innovators and is available electronically to all Longwood Gardens Members via longwoodgardens.org.

Longwood Chimes is produced twice annually by and for Longwood Gardens, Inc.

Contact

As we went to print, every effort was made to ensure the accuracy of all information contained within this publication. Contact us at chimes@longwoodgardens.org.

© 2024 Longwood Gardens. All rights reserved.

Photo by Daniel Traub.

Inside Front Cover Part of an old dutch oven from the Pierce-du Pont House, dismantled in 1936. Photo by Daniel Traub.

Inside Back Cover Barn door ornamental hinge detail, from the former Galer Winery property. Photo by Hank Davis.

Longwood assistant farm manager Douglas Gilpin later recalled that Pierre indulged in some goodnatured ribbing of his cousin Henry Francis du Pont, claiming that his Winterthur herd of Holsteins produced “skim milk” compared to Longwood’s rich Guernsey cream!

—Excerpt from A Fertile Season by Kelli Stewart

Longwood Gardens

P.O. Box 501

Kennett Square, PA 19348

longwoodgardens.org

Longwood Gardens is the living legacy of Pierre S. du Pont bringing joy and inspiration to everyone through the beauty of nature, conservation, and learning.