Longwood Gardens

 On a beautiful day in September, we decided to take a trip, with our friends, up to Longwood Gardens, a favorite destination for us.  

There was a nice breeze, a cloud cover, so the sun was not beating down as we toured the grounds of one of the nicest gardens on the East Coast.  

Even at this late date in the season, the gardens were filled with beautiful flowers, both annuals and perrineals, making for a colorful sight to behold.  Nancy traveled in luxury (her reliable slightly used wheelchair from a while back) as her back, hip and knee were giving her problems and walking was limited.  There were a few hills, but for the most part, the paths were flat and paved, making pushing an easy task.  

We didn't see the fountain show, rather we walked through the flower gardens, ventured into the DuPont home and the had lunch, before finally going into the large greenhouse.  We were fortunate to see the Orchid Exhibit and was it ever beautiful.  Nero Wolfe would be envious.

We have been to the Biltmore Estate, in Asheville, NC where the mansion takes first prize, but there are also some outstanding garden views.  Longwood Gardens, emphasis the planting, with the home being of secondary importance.  Both are truly great experiences of locations that are caretakers of nature.

Hanging plants at Longwood

Orchids

More Orchids

Water lillies