Longwood Gardens

The trip we took to Longwood Gardens was somewhat reminiscent of an English country estate! It was an excellent place a family photo shoot and we spent two hours walking around in 90'F heat!!!! The flowers were gorgeous and here are a few photo's from the day!

The Longwood Gardens estate was originally purchased from William Penn in 1700 by a fellow Quaker named George Peirce. Although it started as a working farm, in 1798 Joshua and Samuel Peirce planted the first specimens of an arboretum. By 1850 they had amassed one of the finest collections of trees in the nation.
Industrialist Pierre du Pont purchased the property from the Peirce family in 1906 to save the arboretum from being sold for lumber. He made it his private estate, and from 1906 until the 1930s, du Pont added extensively to the property.

After the completion of the fountains, du Pont began planning for the sustained life of Longwood Gardens after his death. He founded the Longwood Foundation in 1937, and in 1946 the foundation was chartered with running Longwood Gardens for the general education and enjoyment of the public. His house can be seen in the photographs below.