The final fireworks and fountains light and sound show for this season will be Labor Day weekend, Saturday September 3.  If you don’t catch this show you’ll have to wait until the Christmas season for their spectacular shows.  The annual multi-sensory evening series is an absolutely-can’t-miss summer event. And you’ve got one last chance to enjoy it: 

Enjoy the fountains and fireworks at Longwood Gardens

• Summer Pops (September 3): A night featuring American composer Leroy Anderson’s best known works, including “Blue Tango,” “The Syncopated Clock,” and “Home Stretch.”   Bring or rent a folding chair for a front-row experience of the gardens’ lights and sounds!  Tickets are $38.00 per person and can be purchased online at www.longwoodgardens.org or by calling 610-388-1000.

Hamanassett only has one room left for that weekend plus the two cottages which are each 2 bedrooms with 2 baths so grab your friends and family and don’t delay in making your plans.

Both Longwood Gardens and Winterthur are fabulous DuPont estates located only 10 minutes apart in the beautiful Brandywine Valley.  Between now and April 30 they are offering a Twice As Nice package which allows you to go to both gardens for the low price of $25.00 per person, a savings of $11.00 per person.  Now through March 27 is the Orchid Extravaganza  which culminates in the  Orchid sale on April 2 from 6-9 PM.

Hamanassett Bed and Breakfast is about 15 minutes from Longwood Gardens and 20-25 minutes (depending on traffic) from
Winterthur.  While you are here add in a visit to one of the Brandywine Valley wineries or visit Philadelphia which is 30 minutes from Hamanassett.  So much see and do in such a small area of southeast Pennslyvania.  Check out our Activities button to see everything there is to do in the Brandywine Valley.

Why not combine Longwood Garden’s Orchid Extravaganza with the Philadelphia Flower Show?  The Orchid Extravaganza runs from January 22 through March 27, 2011.  You will see thousands of orchids from all over the world.  It culminates in the ”International Orchid Show & Sale.”   For more information on Longwood www.longwoodgardens.org

The Philadelphia International Flower Show, featuring “Springtime in Paris” run from March 6 through March 13.  For more information on the flower show http://www.theflowershow.com/ShowInfo/index.html

Hamanassett Bed and Breakfast www.hamanassett.com is only a 20 minute drive to Longwood and 30 minutes from Philadelphia.  For even more convenience to Philadelphia you can drive 10 minutes and take the train in.

What a great way to ease into fall.  Get ready for an evening of oohs and aahs as Longwood Gardens presents spectacular fireworks and fountains shows guaranteed to make your summer memorable.   There are only two left this season so don’t wait.  Come for a visit at Hamanassett Bed and Breakfast which is only a 15-20 minute drive from the gardens.  The last two shows promise to be memorable.  Ausut 14, 2010 will feature The Beatles.  Relive the British Invation and celebrate one of the most popular groups of all time.

September 5 is the Gershwin Gala.  Enjoy the unforgettable works of George Gershwin come to life including selections from An American in Paris, Porgy & Bess, and Rhapsody in Blue.   If you haven’t been to the Brandywine Valley or haven’t been recently, there are a multitude of attractions for you to enjoy in addition to Longwood Gardens.  There is Winterthur, a DuPont Country Estate, the Brandywine River Museum (home of 3 generations of Wyeths plus other celebrated Brandywine Valley artists) the Barnes Museum, Hagley and lots of antique shops.  All are within a 15-40 minute drive from Hamanassett.

515 Painter Road
Media, PA 19063
610-566-9134One of the oldest arboreta in the northeastern United States, Tyler Arboretum encompasses 650 acres of renowned plant collections, champion trees, historic buildings, and 20 miles of hiking trails through woodlands, wetlands, and meadows. The Arboretum offers workshops, classes, and tours for adults and children throughout the year.  Tyler Arboretum is a short 10 minute drive Hamanassett Bed and Breakfast, one of the premier lodging establishments in the Brandywine Valley.www.tylerarboretum.org

The Scott Arboretum

500 College Ave
Swarthmore, PA 19081
(610) 328-8025

On the campus of Swarthmore College is a lush oasis of lilacs, magnolias, and azaleas. The Scott Arboretum encompasses over 300 acres, each bursting with color from nearly 3,000 varieties of plants. For the aspiring gardener, there is a horticultural reference library with information about how the Arboretum’s plants are grown and nurtured. Visit their website for a complete listing of workshops, guided tours, lectures and more.  Scott Arboretum and Swarthmore College is only 15 minutes from Hamanassett Bed and Breakfast.

www.scottarboretum.org

Chanticleer

A 35-acre pleasure garden featuring courtyards of tropicals and perennials, vegetable garden, woodlands, water garden and ruin garden. Tens of thousands of bulbs clothe the ground in the spring, followed by orchards of flowering trees with native wildflowers blooming in the woods.

Chanticleer was the estate of Christine and Adolph Rosengarten, Sr. and opened as a public garden in 1993.  Only a short 20 minute drive from Hamanassett Bed and Breakfast.

www.chanticleergarden.org

Longwood Gardens

In 1906, Pierre S. du Pont purchased the Peirce Arboretum to save its trees from being cut for lumber. Over the next nearly half century, Mr. du Pont developed Longwood Gardens into what it is today, a magnificent horticultural showplace.

We invite you to visit Longwood Gardens, which now encompasses 1,050 acres of gardens, woodlands, and meadows. Enjoy over 11,000 types of plants, more fountains than any other garden in the US, educational and visitor programming, and over 400 performances a year.  15 minutes from Hamanassett.

SPRING EVENTS

May 21-31 – Lilytopia

May 30 – Fireworks & Fountains

For additional information on events, visit:

www.longwoodgardens.org

Nemours Mansion & Gardens

Set among spectacular French formal gardens, this is the 300-acre estate of Alfred I. duPont. One of the finest examples of French-style gardens in America exquisitely landscaped with fountains, pools, and statuary surrounded by natural woodlands. They cover 222 acres and closely follow the model of Petit Trianon at Versailles. Reservations are highly recommended.  25 minutes from Hamanassett.

www.nemoursmansion.org

Delaware Center for Horticulture

1810 N. Dupont Street
Wilmington, DE 19806
Phone (302) 658-6262
Fax (302) 658-6267

The georgeous gardens at DCH are an oasis in the city. Free and open to the public, the grounds overlook Brandywine Park.

The Delaware Center for Horticulture (DCH) is a non-profit community resource organization dedicated to promoting knowledge and appreciation of gardening, horticulture, and conservation. DCH’s two community program areas–Educational Programs and Greening Initiatives– focus on the greening of our urban environment and include educational programs for children, teens, and adults. Our work includes community gardens, public landscaping, roadside beautification, tree programs, and community events.

www.dehort.org

Mt. Cuba Center

3120 Barley Mill Road
Hockessin, DE 19707
(302) 239-4244

Mt. Cuba Center is recognized as having the region’s finest woodland wildflower gardens. Guided garden tours provide an excellent overview of our naturalistic gardens. Learn about the history, design, and plant diversity that make Mt. Cuba Center a unique regional treasure. Each tour is conducted by a knowledgeable docent and includes a group of approximately 10-15 people.

Horticultural research at Mt. Cuba Center seeks to evaluate, introduce, distribute, and promote plants of the Appalachian Piedmont worthy of wider use in gardening. This is accomplished through plant exploration, propagation, evaluation, and collaborative research activities that benefit the gardening public, horticultural industry, landscape designers and architects, and conservation community.

www.mtcubacenter.org