Herebydesign.net Website Review

OK, so maybe you won’t be copying the tropical tree above. But in December, Pennsylvania’s Longwood Gardens is teeming with Christmas tree ideas.  And the displays are nothing short of astonishing. Every year the gardens change focus, reimagining the Christmas tree in terms of color, theme and decoration. This year’s exhibition reaches new heights with a floating forest of festive firs and towering evergreens embellished with fresh flowers and glittering ornaments. Other new twists include trees built from such diverse materials as books, birdhouses and green, stained glas* panels. Longwood’s collection of ornaments is vast and has evolved over decades. When not on display in the indoor Conservatory, the ornaments make their home in a barn on the property. Each ornament is individually wrapped, tracked and stored in approximately 400 labeled The 55,000-piece collection, mainly crafted of glas*, features ornaments ranging in size from a few inches to almost two feet.  The palette is predominantly red and gold, although plenty of other colors, like silver, green, pink and turquoise also figure in the mix. Each ornament is featured in a thick tome called ‘The Ornament Book’ where it is categorized by color, size, weight, material and Work starts on next year’s display in January right after the New Year. The designers and staff select their ornaments from the collection and prioritize them by room and space. By March, the whole process is completed and all ornaments, their locations and configuration for the following Christmas are detailed on a spread sheet. Installation begins in November. Visitors to Longwood enter the 4-acre glas* house through the East Conservatory. At the end of the space is a large tree that sets the tone for the exhibition. This year’s 24-foot white fir features chains of different size red ba*ls embellished with tear-drop icicles. The brilliant red provides a warm contrast to the grey green foliage, while the transparent glas* ornaments cool things down.