A Visit to Longwood Gardens Conservatory in Winter

Winter is here and it’s cold outside. To keep warm HenFeathers is celebrating the indoor sun room. Sometimes called the solarium or conservatory, the home version of the sun room can be any sunny area filled with plants, vases, and water features. It can be a fully dedicated room with lots of glass and built in flower beds or just a sun filled corner of the family room with greenery filled containers and perhaps a special wall or tabletop fountain.

Water canal in the East Conservatory Room of the Longwood Gardens Conservatory.

We visited one the most renowned gardens in the country, the conservatory at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania to see what tips we could pick up from the pros.

Waterfall in the East Conservatory

The Main Conservatory at Longwood is a huge indoor space with twenty or so large themed areas or rooms. The East Conservatory and Exhibition Hall are noted for the water features, fountains and falls. Impressive. A tropical escape from the snow and ice outside.Originally, conservatories began in England as Orangeries to grow citrus fruits and indeed, Longwood has its Orangery as well as a Tropical Terrace, Orchid house, Rose House, rooms dedicated to ferns and palms and more. We were overwhelmed with the great rooms, but admired the small vignettes with creative plantings and vessels.

Water feature in the Main Exhibition Hall.

As it turns out, the main elements of the successful conservatory are light, greenery and water, creatively applied with touches of whimsey and unexpected flashes of color, arranged in vases, planters, urns and other carefully selected containers that make your statement. Toss in a garden bench or seat, sprinkle with an appropriate wall plaque or tile and throw whimsical sculpture or two and you’ve got yourself a great space to escape the winter doldrums. Lessons that anyone can apply to their indoor garden space.

Topiary swans in the main hall of the conservatory at Longwood Gardens.

A View of the Main Conservatory.

Containers and vases are conservatory staples. The Silver Garden Room in the Conservatory at Longwood Garden.

Paros Vase

We were thrilled to find one of our tall Paros vessels beautifully set in among green foliage and filled with hanging ferns. Containers are vital elements of an indoor garden space. HenFeathers has a great selection of planters, vases and vessels perfect for the home solarium or sun room.

Cactus garden in a contemporary vessel enhances the solarium feeling of any sun room.

Longwood Gardens famed bronze cranes are creatively set in a natural setting that features water and ferns.

Spectacular Tropical Terrace Room

Garden bench in the Fern Passage of the Conservatory. Placing garden furniture in your inside garden room brings the outdoors in.

Fountains in the Cascade Garden room.

The Lizard Wall Sculpture and fountain in the Indoor Children’s Garden.

The Wonderful whimsical water fountain in the Indoor Children’s Garden.

An orange tree in the Orangery. Conservatories were originally designed to grow citrus fruits in the harsh English climate.

The Wonderful bronze cranes drinking from a fountain in the Indoor Children’s Garden.

Cactus gardens room.

Christmas display at Longwood Gardens.