of a nostalgic Christmas morning, with overflowing stockings hanging from the mantel and an 18-foot-tall Fraser fir rotating in the center doorway, with beautifully decorated presents waiting underneath. Senior Horticulturist April Bevans, who has led the design of the Music Room for nearly a decade now, shares that “the room is dressed for a traditional Christmas and this year is just the right time for that feel. I always go into designing the Music Room with a story in my head, and this year I envisioned the most beautiful sitting room that calls us all back to the visions of the holidays as a child.” Other delights waiting to be discovered throughout our Conservatory include an ombre-swathed tree amid a vibrant meadow in our Mediterranean Garden and spectacular living trees of tropical foliage in our Palm House, Tillandsia in our Cascade Garden, and poinsettia and Artemisia in our Rose House. Outside, more beautiful horticulture in the spirit of traditional A Longwood Christmas beauty awaits. Our 25-foot
Gardener’s Tree is enveloped with ornaments, sugar cones, gourds, and a handmade grapevine garland, as well as topped with gilded curly willow and Paulownia pods. As in many years past, our Wildlife Tree nourishes our feathered and furry friend with its handcrafted edible ornaments, and our Peirce-du Pont House Conservatory and Heritage Exhibit Rooms feature multicolored décor as bright and cheerful as the season itself. Senior Horticulturist Lauren Hill, part of the team who decorates the Peirce-du Pont House for the season, loves that the house calls for attention to “tiny details,” as guests can view everything up close in this space. Lauren always feels inspired by her own childhood when decorating the house, sharing “When I was little I would wake up early in the morning when it was still dark to go and plug in the Christmas trees. My mother had a tree for each of us four kids. I would lay on the floor under the lights and at Longwood I want to create that same magical escape for our guests this year, to feel the brightness of the holidays."