Saturday, August 16, 2008

See the Forest from the Trees


Who hasn’t dreamed of living in a tree?


Yet who would expect to live that fantasy in the grand setting of Pierre du Pont’s former estate in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, Longwood Gardens?


But tucked into Longwood’s 1,050 acres this fall are three fanciful treehouses, crafted by gifted designers, for your late summer pleasure.


Though a bit more ornate than we’d envisioned throwing together from old planks and ropes in our backyard, my family appreciated the gracious scale of the distinctive dwellings on the crowded day we visited.


And in case you’d like to foresee a treehouse in your community garden’s future, learn about the work of Forever Young, a nonprofit dedicated to the creation of disabled-accessible treehouses throughout the U.S. See you in the trees!

4 comments:

Nate Vogel said...

Longwood gardens is a wonderful place. And its surprisingly down to earth. I think your photos show the contrast that makes the Gardens so appealing. Next to Italian gardens are tree houses and fun fountains for playing in.

Thanks for posting about it!

pinenut said...

Hey, speeker,

I'm glad that you've enjoyed Longwood Gardens, too. It's a surprisingly diverse place--and I hope that they keep the treehouses as a permanent exhibit.

Thanks for stopping by!

Dave Coulter said...

Hmm. Looks like there's some money to be made in chemicals! :)

pinenut said...

Hi Dave,

I hear ya! I used to work for a nonprofit where some people objected to accepting donations from "tainted" corporations like DuPont. One VP at the place retorted, "The only thing wrong with tainted money is it 'taint enough!"