Longwood Gardens
Named a 'National Wonder' by National Geographic Traveler,
this internationally famous 1,000+ acre horticultural
Mecca has extraordinary gardens featuring 11,000
types of plants and more fountains than any other garden
in the U.S. and it hosts 400 performances a year!
"Lights: Installations by Bruce Munro"
Shows off the grounds in a ... you guessed it ... entirely new 'light'.
The Orangery: Snowballs
Hanging above the Orangery's centralized green
lawn, Snowballs features six large glass chandeliers
that illuminate the Conservatory's vibrant summer plant
palette in a kaleidoscope of colors. Changing color
in unison, the installation adds drama to the
Orangery's already artful horticultural display.
It was still a little light outside when I took these
and would have been more dramatic if we waiting
until dark ... but it was a long day and we wanted
to some of the outside light displays.
Exhibition Hall: Light Shower
The Exhibition Hall is an extraordinary site for
Light Shower, and installation of 1,650 teardrop-
shaped diffusers suspended from the ceiling by
fiber-optic strands.
Reflecting in the water that floods the Hall's sunken
marble floor, Light Shower provides a
particularly poetic visual accompaniment
to a space that is valued as one of the
Gardens' most iconic.
Theatrical play ... in rehearsal.
Outdoor Installations: Arrow Spring
Arrow Spring is a 300-foot serpentine trail filled
with sage that resembles a flowing watercourse by
day and a meandering stream of light by night.
Its luminescence is the result of the innovative
pairing of ordinary LED flashlights and cutting-edge
fiber optics concealed within sculptural speares
placed throughout the landscape, weaving
15,000 points of light into the swath of sage.
Small Lake: Field of Light
Field of Light is an installation composed of
7,000 frosted glass spheres that appears to
grown organically on the far bank of the Small
Lake. Reflecting both the installation and the site's
naturalistic park-like landscape, the water
serves to extend the scale of the artwork.
My camera couldn't manage to take the entire
display of 7,000 lights in one photo and do it justice.
The colors change in such a manner it looks like
the wind is moving the lights.
This was pretty darn spectacular.
Talk about have the best seat in the pond
for the light show every night!
I was shocked at how packed Longwood Gardens
was on a Thursday night. Folks were having a
grand old time walking, taking photo's, sitting
in the little garden nooks chatting with friends
and totally enjoying the evening. Now I understand why
timed tickets are required on Saturday evenings.
Entrance: The Orbs of Light
What we missed because we couldn't walk one more step ...
Forest Walk: Forest of Light
Forest Walk is a densely populated ecosystem of
tulip trees, white oaks, and sugar maples
that provides a secluded, immersive setting for
Forest of Lights, an installation comprised of
20,000 illuminated glass spheres lining the
pathway. Inspired by the way in which dormant
seeds burst into bloom after a rainfall, it
is an appropriately sited tribute to the
ephemeral beauty of natural cycles and their
lasting survival over time.
Meadow at Hourglass Lake: Water Towers
Water Towers boldly marks the transition between
Longwood's formal Gardens and its natural landscape.
Comprised of 69 structures built out of one-liter
recyclable plastic bottles filled with water,
laser-cut wood layers, and fiber optics connected
to an LED projector and sound system, the
installation beckons visitors to immerse
themselves in the spaces between the towers to
explore the spectacle of light and sound.
Thanks for sharing our adventure at Longwood Gardens.
We're already planning our next trip in the fall.
The light displays are fabulous. Have a great Saturday.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes Molly