Wednesday, November 28, 2018

East Conservatory 2018


East Conservatory Entrance with planters of "Sheffield Yellow Mums" and
Chrysanthemum Trees of "Sheffield Tan Mums."  Each tree is a single mum plant,
whose lower branches have all been pinched off.





"Sheffield Mums" in planters and grown as trees.





"Sheffield Yellow Mums"





Inside the doors were planters filled with "Gethsemane Yellow Mums."





"Gethsemane Yellow Chrysanthemums"






This is the Big One - a single mum plant with 1,000 flowers held up on a metal rack.
It takes 17 months of training to get here and 2,000 man-hours of labor.
This is the interior of the East Conservatory.




A field of "Norton Vic Mums" and "Purple Salvia" behind the Big Mum.





Mums are highly trainable plants, and these are 10 feet high.
On several occasions, gardeners from Longwood have gone to Japan for extended periods 
and studied with master Japanese gardeners with long experience in training exotic
chrysanthemums into many shapes.



Giant Irregular Incurve Chrysanthemums in three colors.  All branches and buds
have been pinched off the sides, so that only one single flower at the top is produced.
These are very different from the mums you buy in the store, and these require a great
deal of work over a long time to produce this final flower.





The East Conservatory seen from the opposite side, with waterfalls and ponds.
The two yellow mums are single plants with 500 flowers each.





The "500 Flower Yellow Mums" are in a reflecting pool atop one of the waterfalls.





Each of the "Japanese Pagodas" is a single plant supported by a metal frame.  You can
see the stem in the center of each.





A "500 Yellow Chrysanthemum" Plant





The "Fan Form" is new this year, made up of White Mums and some "Red Kurumi Mums."
This is made of 3 plants, whose long stems can be seen.





"Powder Puff Mums."  Yellow centers and white petals.





A bed of "Powder Puff Mums" and small "Statesman Chartreuse Mums."





Chocolate Brown "Candid Chrysanthemums."





"Chocolate Brown Candid Chrysanthemum"





A bed of "Nijin Buruni Gold and Brown" Irregular Incurve Chrysanthemums





"Nijin Buruni Chrysanthemums" - Gold lined with Purple/Brown.





"Nijin Buruni Irregular Incurve"
Many of the varieties of mums have been brought from Japan.





The "1000 Flower Mum" and surrounding beds.





Longwood is also a special center of research on Camellias.  They are especially
trying to develop plants which can take colder climates.  This is a Pink Camellia.





"White Camellia"





"Pink Camellia"





The "North Conservatory" is built around a sunken area, which can be flooded (as here)
or dry and used for concerts.  There are flower planters all around the basin, and right
now they are filled with yellow mums and various shades of orange kalanchoe.
In the left background are the "Vernal Falls" mums, and they can be found in many other 
places in the conservatories.  In the center are the "Red Kuruni Mums" trained in
spiral topiary.




"Vernal Falls Anemone Mums"





Yellow Mums and Orange Kalanchoe.





"Indian Summer Decorative Mums."  Every one of the flowers is slightly
different, with shades of yellow, orange, copper, and brown.





Bed of "Indian Summer Chrysanthemums."





"Indian Summer Mum"





Large urn with "Greenacres Decorative Mums"





"Wind Dancer" yellow spider chrysanthemums.  They were some of my favorites.





"Wind Dancer Yellow Spider Chrysanthemums"





Gorgeous "Wind Dancer Spider Mum."





A pot of "Heather James Regular Incurve Chrysanthemums."





"Heather James Chrysanthemums"





"Heather James Regular Incurve Chrysanthemum"





"Shower" White Spider Chrysanthemums





"Shower White Spider Chrysanthemum"





"Shower White Spider Chrysanthemums"

That's all for this year; I hope you have enjoyed the mums.



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Wednesday, November 21, 2018

The Orchid House 2018



The Orchid House at Longwood Gardens has hundreds of blooming orchids on display
all year long.  Another two greenhouses shelter the 4,000 different orchids in their collection.





White Cattleya Orchids.





"Mary Catherine" White Orchids





Two White Cattleya Orchids with Yellow Throats





The White Orchid Niche





The Purple Orchid Niche





The North Wall of the Orchid House





Lavender and White Striped Orchids





A Cluster of Purple and White Orchids





Orchdis cover all the walls.





The passageway to the Mediterranean Garden.





The Passageway to the Banana Tree House





Purple, White, and Lavender Orchids





A cluster of purple and white orchids.




Two Cattleya Orchids





The East Wall of the Orchid House with Many Orchids Hanging.





A Passageway Wall





Center of the Orchid House.
There are more varieties of orchids than any other flower in the world.





A shower of yellow orchids.





Pale Purple Orchids





Variety of Orchids





Tiger Orchids










A Trio of Purple Orchids





Copper and Brown Cattleya Orchids





Spotted Leopard Orchids





Blue and Purple Orchids





Small white orchids with a sweet aroma; not all orchids have an odor.




Deep Purple Orchids





The Mediterranean Greenhouse





Spur Flowers / Plectranthus in the Mediterranean Garden





A deeper blue Spur Flower




Extra Chrysanthemums in the Potting Shed




Longwood Gardens also has a large collection of bonsai trees.  This is
a pomegranate, which was begun 50 years ago.



A bonsai Maple Tree 69 years old.




Extra Chrysanthemums



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