A Longwood Gardens Visit

I am participating in #SOL22. This is Day 28.

Yesterday was cold – not the day I would choose to visit Longwood Gardens, but Pat Smith was here and we made plans. Ralph, Patty, and I arrived at Longwood around two p.m. and strolled until four. Then we had an amazing dinner at Patty’s home, created by her husband Ed. Baked salmon, homemade sweet red potato mashed potatoes, and asparagus, followed by creamy cheesecake topped with raspberries. We drank champagne starting with the appetizers through dessert. My husband does not drink, so he is always my designated driver – lucky me! It was a great day.

My dear friend Patty is with me at Longwood Gardens.

Longwood did not disappoint. We experienced hanging baskets of jasmine with tiny white blooms, azaleas, amaryllis, and best of all – blue poppies – native to the Himalayan tundra. Longwood purchases them from somewhere in Alaska. They last all of ten days in the warm conservatory – they prefer 45-degree temperatures.

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The Himalayan Blue Poppy. Such a rich true blue flower is a rare garden treasure. True blue flowering plants are rare in the natural world, The Himalayan blue poppy derives its blue color from the pigment delphinidin combined with the plant’s ability to maintain acidic conditions inside the plant cells.

The new orchid house was amazing! You will see lots of photos from our visit. Enjoy!

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