Light Exhibit at Longwood Gardens a Must See This Summer

(Courtsey Daily Local News)

Out of this World! Incredible! Beyond expectation. Wowed at every turn. How do I begin to describe the amazing light exhibit by UK light artist Bruce Munro at Longwood Gardens?

I was privileged to attend the preview of the Bruce’s first garden installation in the US this past Thursday. The exhibit features two huge installations in the conservatory and an up-close collection of small illuminated sculptures in the ballroom, but it is the seven amazing large-scale outdoor installations that will take your breath away.

As we left the preview reception and wondered down the main garden walk, we strolled over toward the fish pond and were greeted by the first installation called Arrow Spring which mixes purple sage and other plants with bees wax candles to create a meandering hillside stream.

(Courtsey DesignBoom)

From there we meandered around the Fish Pond where 6,000 glowing stems of light shimmer in the lake. (Picture here courtsey of the Daily Local) Even the iconic Italian water gardens are a glow with color. The large water lily platters for which Longwood is so famous are a floating light show on the Large Lake. (Photo from DesignBoom)

A walk in Longwood’s Meadow is a highlight with 69 symmetric towers made from recycled water bottle that create a glowing maze of light that changes hues to music. It’s fun to just glide through the light and sound as twilight turned to night.


But the real mind blower was the Forest of Light. Looking out from one of the Longwood tree houses over the sea of some 20,000 stems of light undulating in changing colors of blue, pink, purple and white made me feel like I was in another world, a fairey princess looking out over a magical kingdom. It was enchanting and literally took my breath away.

Inside the Conservatory, six nine foot Snowball Chandeliers formed by 127 perfectly uniform glass balls that change color. A massive Light Shower rains more than 1,600 drops of twinkling lights over the flooded Fern Floor, and a small collection of Munro’s illuminated sculptures and models are on display in the Music Room.

Longwood is encouraging guests to interact and is making iPods available and even has an app you can download.

The show runs through September 29. It’s definitely a must see event and well worth a special trip.

Timed Tickets are required for Gardens Admission and can be purchased online at http://www.longwoodgardens.org/.

Suzi

Garden Media Group

Celebrate National Public Gardens Day

Want to do your part to support our public gardens? Then take some time to visit any botanical garden, arboretum or public garden on May 11th, National Public Gardens Day.

Now in its fourth year celebrating North America’s public gardens, National Public Gardens Day is a national day of awareness in which communities nationwide are invited to visit and learn about the important role their public gardens play in promoting environmental stewardship and awareness, plant and water conservation, and education.

Check out their video featuring master gardener Paul James, host of HGTV’s Gardening By The Yard!


For more information on National Public Gardens Day, visit www.NationalPublicGardensDay.org, “LIKE” the National Public Gardens Day Facebook page and follow the National Public Gardens Day Twitter feed, @NPGD.

-Stacey
Garden Media Group

Orchid Extravaganza at Longwood Gardens

Last week I decided to take my daughter to explore the amazing Orchid Extravaganza at Longwood Gardens. It was a gorgeous day out, so what better way to spend it than by walking the beautiful grounds at Longwood. After exploring the meadows and the forest, we headed inside to the Garden's four-acre Conservatory to see the orchids. I was blown away as we wandered through the indoor gardens. It was incredible to see thousands of colorful orchids draping from walls and spilling out of containers and baskets. We didn't want to leave!


Here are just few of my favorites from our fun-filled day! 

If you happen to be in the Brandywine Valley area, the Orchid Extraganza will be on display through March 25th, 2012. I promise you won't be disappointed!


-Stacey
GMG

Vote Now For Your Favorite Flower

Have you voted yet for your favorite flower? Well, there's still time! Thanks to the American Garden Award competition, you have this unique opportunity to help choose the most popular flower in the nation.

Here's how it works. Some of the world's most prestigious flower breeders choose their best varieties to enter in this competition. Then, in cooperation with over 24 highly respected public gardens throughout the United States, the American Garden Award presents the entries so consumers can view the plants in person, then vote on their favorite.

Here are the 2011 entries:

Dahlia ‘Dahlinova Hypnotica® Lavender’
Dianthus ‘Kahori®’ (pictured above)
Ornamental Pepper ‘Uchu™’
Petunia ‘Easy Wave™ Neon Rose’
Petunia milliflora ‘Picobella™ Rose Star’
Scaevola ‘Surdiva® Light Blue’

‘SunPatiens® Variegated Spreading White’

For those of you who are unable to make it to view these flowers in person, you can also vote online at www.americangardenaward.com.

Voting doesn't end until August 31st, so go ahead and cast your vote today! Winners will be announced in September. Let me know which one is your favorite!

-Stacey

GMG

The American Garden Award program is administered by the All-America Selections Display Garden program. AGA entries have not been trialed nor awarded a winner status by the AAS Trial Judges.

Lilytopia!

Lilies. Truly amazing plants.

This Friday, May 20th, marks the opening of a remarkable event at Longwood Gardens, in Kennett Square, PA, called 'Lilytopia' - that runs through May 30th.

Longwood's enchanting East Conservatory will be transformed into a "breathtaking showcase of the newest varieties of lilies developed by Dutch hybridizers." The dazzling display will showcase more than 10,000 cut stems designed by Dorien van den Berg, noted designer of the world-famous lily show at Holland's Keukenhof. Van den Berg will travel to Longwood from the Netherlands to oversee the creation of the display.

You can also vote in the Lily Idol competition and purchase bulbs from the beautiful displays to grow in your own garden.

I can't wait to go and let you all know what was my absolute favorite.

~Lynne
GMG
photos credit: Longwood Gardens

Historic Biltmore Estate Featured in Inc. Magazine

When I started planning a little mother-daughter get away before Katie's wedding, I knew we wanted to go to someplace luxurious where we'd be pampered, but we also wanted to hike, practice yoga, and spend time outdoors. When I discovered Katie had always wanted to go to the Biltmore, our new client, it was a no-brainer.

Inc. Magazine, one of my favorite reads, recently listed Biltmore House and Gardens as one of six great historic sites to visit. Inc. says that "if you're looking for a new venture, maybe it's time to brush up on your history."

This lush family-run estate is locate in Asheville, North Carolina, and situated next to The Pisgah National Forest, a half million acre forest in the Great Smoky Mountains created when George Vanderbilt, the grandson of railroad baron, Cornelius Vanderbilt, assembled property around his growing estate.

He hired the founding father of American landscape architecture—Frederick Law Olmsted—to design the grounds. Olmsted's vision for Biltmore included a small pleasure ground and garden, a major arboretum and nursery, and a systematically managed forest, the first in the country.

George and Edith Vanderbilt built the 250-room manor as their private residence in 1898. In 1930, his enterprising daughter Cornelia Cecil opened up the sprawling 125,000-acre estate for limited tours.

Today, Biltmore hosts more than one million visitors annually and employs almost 2,000 people, one of the largest employers in Buncombe County. It features gardens, a winery, shopping, and dining - even horseback riding, fly fishing and segway-ing. Biltmore welcomes visitors from all ages and regions.

LeeAnn Donnelly, a spokesperson for the Biltmore Estate, says historical tourism is a sound market: "I can say that, in general, smaller regional attractions have tended to do better as people have opted for less expensive, closer to home vacations, or 'staycations.'"

Check out Inc for other exciting and profitable historical sites around the nation.

See you at Biltmore in May! Suzi, Garden Media Group