Longwood Garden's Light Show by Bruce Munro

We are lucky to live near Longwood Gardens, a world renowned garden and tourist destination.

Frommer's writes, " One of the world's most celebrated horticultural displays, Longwood Gardens showcases more than 11,000 different types of plants and flowers amid 1,050 acres of outdoor gardens and woodlands. For sheer size, Longwood is spectacular. But the ever-blooming displays throughout the grounds and conservatory are both creative and delightful, thanks to Pierre S. du Pont, who purchased the existing farm and arboretum in 1906, and from 1907 to 1954 designed most of what is enjoyed today."

My father proposed to my mother at Longwood Gardens and it's long been a part of our family history. You can visit often because it is always changing and the most gorgeous place to take a long walk, spend the day....

As the sun was setting last Saturday, we went to see the Bruce Munro light show with out 2 littlests as our older boys were off swing dancing with their teen group.

First, they ran through the topiary gardens, playing hide and seek as we sat in rocking chairs watching the sky turn colors. Then, we went to the conservatory and watched the fountain light show set to music.

Inside, we saw the first of the UK's Bruce Munro and his light installation. The lights, in glass orbs, changed colors....as you watched....yellow, to blue, to pink, to green, to white...etc....

The lights below dangled from the ceiling to resemble a rain fall.

But THIS was our favorite, the Forest of Lights! It seemingly went on forever, like a Midsummer's Night dream...a fairyland of colorful, changing lights strewn through a forest. We meandered our way into the winding trails and couldn't stop gasping at the intricacy and the effect. I don't think they'll ever forget it....I won't.

You can hear, in this video made by my youngest son, how much this night captivated him.

Longwood's press release, "Installation highlights include Forest of Light, which invites guests to wander through a serene forest of 20,000 illuminated stems reminiscent of blooming flowers. Longwood’s undulating Meadow plays host to the Water Towers, a collection of 69 symmetric towers that create a glowing maze of light that changes hues to music. InWaterlilies in Bloom, Munro pays homage to Longwood’s iconic waterlily platters and sets his shimmering interpretations to float on the Large Lake. Nearby, the 6,000 stem installation Field of Light beckons visitors toward its enchanting glow.  Arrow Springartfully mixes horticultural splendor and bees wax candles to create a meandering hillside stream."

This exhibit ends September 29th. However, any visit at any time to Longwood Gardens will be a special one. Mums and pumpkins are coming....hope you get there.