It is not only lovely, but also litter free. Eating and drinking are allowed only in designated places, like the restaurant or the picnic area, and you get the feeling the rule is enforced. On to the conservatory. There's something about pillared glass houses and multi-colored plants and water reflecting over sunken marble floors. Imagine such a place in winter, filled with vivid poinsettias and other seasonal plants.
Spring can star delphiniums in unimaginable hues and other showy flowers.
The orchid room displays the best of Longwood's 2,000 different types, frequently replaced from five orchid growing houses to be in peak blooming and scenting condition. They are so lusciously beautiful, they look unreal. Their silver-colored foliage reflects light, their succulent leaves and stems store water, and hairs, spines and cupped leaves also facilitate survival. Twenty different banana types are grown at Longwood, from 30-foot high specimens to dwarf types grown in containers. Some 800 horticultural and performing arts events are offered each year, including gardening demonstrations and flower shows, organ concerts and musical theater, summer fireworks and fountain displays.