Autumn Comes to Longwood Gardens

Longwood Gardens starts its annual Harvest Festival for autumn on October 2, displaying decorative pumpkins and chrysanthemums throughout the gardens. The Idea Garden, just west of the Main Fountain, and the Pierce-du Pont House will be especially decked out in “every shade of autumn.” Longwood will continue its famous fountain shows during the spooky season, so make sure not to miss the haunting “Symphony of Horror” on October 23. Michele, a Longwood employee, also recommends stopping by the Chrysanthemum Festival, running from October 15 to November 15. This festival features a single mum plant with over 1,000 blossoms, carefully grown for 18 months to span 11 feet wide! “It is a must-see in autumn,” she says.

Chrysanthemums are Michele’s favorite fall plant that Longwood displays due to their 13 distinct varieties with dazzling fall colors, ranging from bright pink to a sunset of yellows and oranges.

Beyond the specially featured fall festivities, countless varieties of plants celebrate the cooling weather with their magnificent autumnal shows. Meadow Gardens, in the far eastern corner of the gardens, is home to bright goldenrod as far as the eye can see, creating a yellow sea in the fall. Ginkgo trees, characterized by their fan-shaped leaves, are sprinkled throughout the property and will turn an intense yellow before dropping all of their leaves at once.

Make sure to look out for when they start to change as you drive by! Beech Tree Boardwalk, near Meadow Gardens, will also be surrounded by bright orange and yellow foliage, and will be a great spot for an immersive fall walk (and maybe a photo-op). Red maples, eastern redbuds, and oak leaf hydrangeas will display vivid reds and purples. Michaela McKnight, Unionville alumna (‘24) and plant science major, points out another interesting type of tree to look out for: “deciduous gymnosperms.” These are trees that look like they should be evergreen but are a rare exception because they drop their needles in the fall. Examples include the bald cypress and dawn redwood, both of which can be spotted at the gardens. If you love fall colors, cooler weather, and pumpkins everywhere, you can’t miss Longwood Gardens this autumn. Although their main fall attractions won’t begin for a few weeks, the gift shop is already in the mood for some apple cider.