Longwood Gardens
Longwood Gardens is a botanical garden in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania ( USA), fifty kilometers west of Philadelphia. Its size is 4.2 km ².
History
The story begins in 1700 Longwoods, as a family of Quakers called Peirce the site of William Penn purchased. They operated a farm, but in 1798 began the grandson of the first owner, Samuel and Joshua Peirce, with the installation of an arboretum, which already in 1850 under the name of Peirce 's Park as one of the largest collections of native and exotic trees and shrubs in the United States was known. Built in 1730 by the family house is open to visitors on the site since 1976 - together with later extensions - open to the public. As Quakers were the Peirce opponents of slavery, making them as a station of the Underground Railway, an abolitionist network that escaped slaves made it possible to escape from the Southern States their home, presented available. 1906 gave the then owner, Linda W. Bevan, a sawmill permission to fell the trees located on the premises. To preserve the Arboretum before the destruction, the estate of Pierre S. du Pont (1870-1954), a member of the owning family of the DuPont Company and later a director of General Motors was purchased. The carried out under his direction horticultural and structural changes owes Longwood Gardens its present shape. Since 1946 There are management and maintenance of the garden in the hands founded by du Pont in 1937 Longwood Foundation. She is also responsible for the extensive training and continuing education programs, both for hobby and leisure gardeners are offered as well as on a professional level. Since the death of Pierre S. du Ponts Longwood Gardens is open to the public.
Description
Greenhouses
The 1919-1921 built and has since then been extended greenhouse complex today consists of three parts, together cover an area of approximately 18,000 m². In addition to the various show gardens, in which a total of 5,500 plant species or varieties are presented, one finds exhibition and event spaces, as well as one of the largest organs in the United States with 237 registers and about 10,000 pipes.
Outdoor area
131.5 acres of outdoor grounds are open to the public. In addition to the original Arboretum and extensive open spaces there are twenty theme gardens that are either single plant families show (eg roses, lilacs or wisteria ), certain habitats mapped (eg alpine garden ) or just beautiful ( show discounts ).
Longwood Gardens is famous for its numerous fountains and water features.