Natural Materials Onaments Highlight Museum Holiday

by Carol Kagan, Master Gardener

Looking out from the second floor landing to the Brandywine River.

A side trip from our Longwood Gardens visit to the Brandywine River Museum of Art in Chadds Ford, PA was a wonderful holiday destination.

The art galleries are a delight with N.C.Wyeth's Old Kris setting the stage for a holiday visit.


Old Kris by N.C. Wyeth (Courtesy: Brandywine Museum)

My favorite part, however, were the CRITTERS, ornaments handmade from natural materials, their big fundraiser. Each year in March, the "glue-gun gang" of 120 volunteers begins crafting these delightful ornaments from natural materials. By the opening of A Brandywine Christmas, they will have made nearly 9,000 critters-both for display and for sale.

I see a late autumn workshop in the making for Master Gardeners.

Most of the best ornaments were gone by our late December visit but I got a cute one. Also thinking a 4-H Garden Club craft project, too.

Mouse nestled in a milkweed pod

Here are a few others that were on the trees.

Teasel Teddy with bean paws, seed eyes and strawflower, too.

Bleached lunaria petals with a strawflower center.

Another feature for the holidays was a train display, complete with a drive-in movie playing Despicable Me2 (movie screen was a computer tablet!).

Definitely worth the visit and a good combo with a Longwood Gardens visit anytime of the year.

Wings Holiday at Longwood Gardens

by Carol Kagan, Master Gardener

It was cold and dreary but not yet raining during our recent visit to Longwood Gardens. They were dressed for the holidays and celebrating in so many different ways – indoors, outdoors, up in the trees, floating in the water, lighted fountains dancing to holiday tunes, local choral group singing and trains zizzing around outdoor tracks.

The theme is wings. Here are some inside highlights.

Red, pink and white poinsettias



Roses and more

 

A succulent wreath and others inside a warm and humid room.

Red wings and red and white flowers

Anthurium, dusty miller and more

Hand-cut paper feathers adorn the far viewed alcove

Lots of different wings

More flowers and decorations

Lots of white

Much more on display. Even on dreary days this is a good bet. Indoors is weather-neutral and outdoors is best enjoyed in the dark.

 

Before you go, Longwood now uses timed admission tickets. These are required and a limited number of tickets are available for each time slot. Take care of this online and you'll whoosh through the entrance. Otherwise you'll be in a long line negotiating when you can actually get in.

 

Once you are in, you can leave and return if you remember to get your hand stamped upon exit.

 

We opted for 3 PM. We took in some of the outdoor displays such as the train and some of the outdoor trees. We had time for a light meal in the Terrace Café. (Be warned! We went on a Monday, the non-peak times. We were told it is crowded, crowded, crowded in the café and the 1906 restaurant may have seating but be prepared for this to be your big-ticket meal for the outing.)

 

Check out more about Longwood Garden and their Longwood Christmas displays and upcoming ones such as the Orchid Extravaganza.