Longwood Gardens. Part 8.

Longwood Gardens - Part 1 Longwood Gardens - Part 2 Longwood Gardens - Part 3 Longwood Gardens - Part 4 Longwood Gardens - Part 5 Longwood Gardens - Part 6 Longwood Gardens - Part 7

Here's the map so you can see where we've been and where we're headed.

This is the Chimes Tower and Waterfall. Longwood has more fountains than any other garden in the United States. The fountains and waterfall require a large water storage system. In 1929, Pierre du Pont created a cliff from a hillside south of the fountain garden. At its base, he built a shallow, concrete-lined, pear-shaped basin which serves as a reservoir. Alongside, he built the Chimes Tower, inspired by a similar structure he had seen in France. Above the cliff, at the highest point in the hydraulic system, he constructed a 90,000-gallon underground reservoir. To provide a green background, Mr. du Pont turned the adjoining cornfield into an "instant" landscape, planting several hundred mature trees and shrubs, some as tall as 70 feet.

The Eye of Water. First from this side.

The Eye of Water. From the opposite side. This modern water feature sits above a 90,000-gallon reservoir that supplies the Waterfall and Main Fountain Garden. An initial surge of 8000 gallons per minute at 9AM drops back to a smooth flow of 5000 gallons per minute for the rest of the day.

The Topiary Garden

I don't know what's damaging these topiaries.

Sorry buggers.

And XKT and Rosie have seen everything. Took us about 5 1/2 hours. Regular people, count on 2 days. Of course I couldn't leave until I made a stop in the gift shop. I bought seeds: Cerinth, Pride of Gibralter Climbing Nasturtiums, Amazon Jewel Heirloom Crimson Poppies, Legion of Honor California Poppies, Native Orange Mounding Nasturtium, Creamsicle Carnation Flower Poppies, French Flounce Bells of Ireland, Antique Apple Green Hummingbird's Choice, Color Fountains Cleome Old Fashioned Hollyhocks, Black Watchman Climbing Nasturtiums, Moonlight

Next stop, Winterthur. Pronounced WIN-ter-tour.