Page 51 - The Hunt - Winter 2024

LONGWOOD GARDENS
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to a new 3,800-square-foot glass home.
“We basically documented every plant, every stone, every waterfall—and we commissioned a 360-degree survey of the garden before it was dismantled,” says Loving. “Now we’ve put it back together like an enormous puzzle.”
Other “Longwood Reimagined” highlights include the following:
• The Bonsai Courtyard alongside the West Conservatory features 50 plants donated by the esteemed Kennett Collection, which houses one of the finest private bonsai collections outside of Asia. • Designed in 1989 by the late Sir Peter Shepheard, the Waterlily Court has been
revamped to include 100 different varieties. • Housing a state-of-the-art library and classrooms within its 46,000 square feet, the Grove is a new hub for education
and administration.
• Longwood’s 1906 Restaurant has a revamped menu, a new private dining space and floor-to-ceiling windows that offer stunning views of the Main Fountain Garden. Redman likens the experience to “having lunch or dinner at the Versailles of America.”
The Longwood Gardens of today may
be a far cry from what Pierre S. du Pont envisioned over a century ago, but it remains aligned with his philosophy. “The original combined technical innovation and the
importance of land conservation,” says Weiss. “From the beginning, we asked ourselves, ‘How do we honor du Pont’s vision and take Longwood into the 21st century?’ It was an exciting and stimulating challenge.”
Redman, meanwhile, has doubled Longwood’s yearly attendance since taking over in 2006. The numbers are now
around 1.6 million annually. And while
he’s confident that all the changes will be embraced by the public, he’s also human. “When you do a project like this, it’s like, ‘OK, I’m throwing this big party. Is anybody actually going to show?’” he says.
Something tells us they will.
Visit longwoodgardens.org.
Workers put the finishing touches on the new West Conservatory.
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