Chongyang Chrysanthemum Season: Longwood Gardens' Chrysanthemum Festival Opens October 16 With More Than 5,000 Trained Mums, on View Through November 15
KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. — October 18 is the Double Ninth Festival (Chongyang), the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, and admiring chrysanthemums is one of its traditional customs. Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, opened its Chrysanthemum Festival on October 16, with more than 5,000 chrysanthemum plants on display in its conservatories through November 15.
According to Longwood Gardens' October 2 announcement, its autumn display, Autumn's Colors, runs October 2–November 15, and the Chrysanthemum Festival transforms the East and Main Conservatories beginning October 16. Guests move through more than 5,000 chrysanthemum plants trained into sculptural forms including spirals and cascading clouds, in hues of yellow, orange, lavender and maroon. New this year is a double chrysanthemum arch. In the Bonsai Workshop, students and staff present a chrysanthemum bonsai display. In the Exhibition Hall, a live chrysanthemum curtain backs a new display inspired by the Japanese art form of suiseki — viewing stones appreciated for resembling mountains, islands and waterfalls — with chrysanthemum forms as large as 10 feet long.
'Our Autumn display pairs nature's colorful foliage with the ancient artistry of chrysanthemum training,' said Chris Cole, Vice President of Horticulture at Longwood Gardens, noting that the exhibit takes more than a year of planning and is on view for only a few weeks. The gardens will also host 'Meet Us at the Mums' on October 24, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., when members of the Science team stationed throughout the conservatories will share the techniques and research behind the festival; the program is free with Gardens admission and advance registration is required. Longwood Gardens is located at 1001 Longwood Road, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.
Source: Compiled from Longwood Gardens' October 2 announcement (via PR Newswire) and the gardens' official Chrysanthemum Festival page.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：Longwood Gardens 菊花节的菊花造型与花坛（资料图）。图片来源：Longwood Gardens 官网（longwoodgardens.org）。Photo: Trained chrysanthemum forms and mum plantings at Longwood Gardens' Chrysanthemum Festival (file photo). Image: Longwood Gardens official website.
