Longwood Gardens

I'm not going to apologize, but . . . uh, you know. It's been a while. In between my chocolate chip granola recipe and now, I've done some traveling (which will be coming over the next week or so), switched jobs (good bye 3 hours in a car every day and hello a lot less stress), and have generally had a great spring and summer. Because I started my new job on the first day of Autumn, I feel like I've been able to lean completely into this season as one of true change. But, more on that later. Let's rewind to Spring and the beauty that was my first ever visit to Longwood Gardens!

We were in visiting my in-laws on Mother's Day weekend, and it seemed like a perfect opportunity for me to finally make the short drive up, especially with the spring flowers in bloom. Of course, it was particularly full, but the grounds are big enough that you can get somewhere where the crowds are less. Apparently it's equally stunning to go around Christmas, but visiting in the spring was pretty spectacular too. The cost per person is $25, so if you're going with a lot of people, it can be a small investment. If you're big into flowers, though, I think it's worth it.

After we spent the day at Longwood Gardens, we went up the road about 15 minutes to Terrain, which is a garden center and shop. Most of their goods are ridiculously overpriced, but they have a lot of rare or hard-to-find plants. I picked up a String of Pearls for my mom, and got myself a Staghorn Fern and a Peperomia Rosso. Overall, by the end of the day, I was bursting with plant euphoria. The pictures only scratch the surface, so I definitely recommend a visit if you're ever in the Philadelphia area and want to spend a day among luscious greenery.

If you'd like a very detailed history of how Longwood became the behemoth that it is, their website has pages dedicated to it starting in 1700 and going all the way until today. In the meantime, please enjoy these pictures from our visit!