Earlier this month my father came for a visit. I had heard lots of great things about Longwood Gardens and we decided to make the trip to check it out. We were not disapointed.

In 1906, Pierre S. du Pont purchased the Peirce Arboretum to save its trees from being cut for lumber. Over the next nearly half century, Mr. du Pont developed Longwood Gardens into what it is today, a magnificent horticultural showplace. Longwood Gardens, 1,050 acres of gardens, woodlands, and meadows.

The canopy Cathedral

The sky’s the limit for this spectacular display of treehouses. Three large-scale treehouses created by the country’s best designers take center stage in picturesque settings around the Gardens. The Canopy Cathedral, an ornate two-story house inspired by a Norwegian church overlooking the Italian Water Garden.

Peirce-duPont House

Joshua Peirce, a Quaker farmer, built the section of the brick house with the covered porch in 1730 (the porch dates from 1824). Successive generations of the Peirce family enlarged the modest farmhouse during the nearly two centuries it remained in their possession.

It was 1906 when Pierre S. du Pont purchased the property to save the amazing trees that were about to be harvested for timber. He expanded the dwelling in 1909, and again in 1914, to serve as his country home and first conservatory. The house was opened to the public in 1976 and now contains the Longwood Heritage Exhibit, a comprehensive collection of historic photos, artifacts, home movies, and video that tells the story of the stewards of the land who preserved and developed the property.

Chimes Tower

Stone unearthed during the Main Fountain Garden construction was used to partially build the Chimes Tower and Waterfall in 1929. Water for the 50-foot man-made waterfall comes from a reservoir under the Eye of Water.

The 61-foot-tall Chimes Tower houses a 62-bell Carillon. The lower portion of the Tower is open daily and the upper portion and carillon are open after scheduled bell concerts.

Caryopteris Allee

This long, narrow allée between the Topiary and Rose Gardens and the Main Fountain Garden features white hibiscus standards blooming in late summer set amid a soothing border of bluebeard (Caryopteris). The Love Temple at the south end, one of three at Longwood, provides an eye-catching terminus to the vista.

The Conservatory

Longwood's Conservatory is one of the world's great greenhouse structures. It shelters 20 indoor gardens and 5,500 types of plants. The Conservatory was built in 1919 and has been periodically expanded and renovated. At present, there are 195,668 square feet—or 4.5 acres—of covered display, production, and research greenhouses.