3 Botanical Gardens to Visit During the Holiday Season

Are you suffering for gardening withdraw. Do you miss walking through your beautiful summer flower gardens? Plan a winter holiday vacation to a botanical garden. There are dozens of beautiful botanical gardens throughout the United States. Although spring and summer flowers are no longer in bloom many of these botanical gardens exhibit spectacular winter holiday gardens and events. Many feature light shows, holiday music, decorating workshops and more. Open all-year-round here are three botanical gardens you might like to visit for a winter garden getaway.

Longwood Gardens: Located in Kennett Square just 30 miles from Philadelphia in Pennsylvania Longwood Gardens hosts exquisite flowers, majestic trees, dazzling fountains, extravagant conservatory, starlit theatre, thunderous organ-all describe the magic of Longwood Gardens, a horticultural showstopper where the gardening arts are encased in classic forms and enhanced by modern technology.

Many generations helped create Longwood Gardens, but one individual-Pierre S. du Pont (1870-1954), industrialist, conservationist, farmer, designer, impresario, and philanthropist-made the most enduring contribution. Open year round Longwood Gardens has something for all ages. They offer guided and unguided tours, school group tours and summer concerts. The Garden Railway Display runs daily through September to November from 9am-5pm. Pumpkin Playground where kids get to play, sit and climb on pumpkins in the Idea Garden. However, their spectacular Christmas Fountain Light and Music show is the highlight of their holiday season.

Biltmore House and Gardens: The renowned Biltmore gardens have captured the beauty and earned the distinction of being some of the most beautiful gardens in the United States. Designed specifically for George Vanderbilt summer home many of the trees seen today were planted according to the design and plans for the estate created by noted landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted.

The center piece of the Biltmore House is their Winter Garden. During Candle Light Christmas the garden is decorated with stunning seasonal floral arrangements, while hosting musicians, choirs and on occasion a sugar-plum ballerina or two. But the most awe-inspiring decorative holiday item in the house is the Banquet Hall Christmas tree which stands between 35-38 feet. This majestic display is worth the trip. Open all year Biltmore House and Gardens is a must see for the holiday season. Located 10 minutes from downtown Asheville, North Carolina, enjoy the beauty of Christmas at Biltmore.

Chicago Botanic Garden: The Chicago Horticultural Society was founded in 1890. At its heart was the understanding that the city of Chicago was incorporated with the Latin words Urbs in Horto, meaning "city in a garden." The Society hosted nationally recognized flower and horticultural shows and supported Chicago's lakeshore improvements and park system.

From November 26^th through January 2^nd you can enjoy the beauty and holiday magic of the Wonderland Express. Have breakfast with Santa, Hanukkah Dinner or a hot chocolate with Mrs. Santa. Take a magical trip to a winter wonderland of twinkling lights and spectacular holiday beauty. Eco-friendly energy-conserving light-emitting diode (LED) lights provide much of the festive holiday lighting at the Garden. Outside, 750,000 lights sparkle and welcome you and your family to the Garden's wonderland.

Inside the Regenstein Center, a 10,000-square-foot exhibition of miniature trains winds over bridges, under trestles, past waterfalls, and through more than 80 mini-replicas of Chicago's favorite landmarks. Paul Busse, designer of the Model Railroad Garden, created this amazing exhibition exclusively for the Garden's holiday celebration. The Chicago Botanic Garden is easy to find and easy to reach, approximately 20 miles north of Chicago.

Source(s)Wikipedia
Longwood GardensChicago Botanic Garden
Biltmore House and Gardens
Chicago Botanic Garden