Last week, garden and cooking maven Martha Stewart made a visit to the Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania. Nothing about this surprised me—Longwood Gardens is one of the top botanic gardens in the United States. US News and Reports named it number one only a few weeks ago.

In her blog post, Stewart encouraged her readers to visit, and I couldn’t agree more. Last spring I made a trip to Philadelphia and set aside a few hours to go see the Longwood Gardens. Here’s why it’s worth the trip.

The Greenhouse Is Spectacular

There are a whopping 5,500 varieties of plants indoors. Some areas of the greenhouse feel like the gardens you might walk through in a royal palace, while others are arid spaces overrun by plants, or the best tropical jungle that feels like a play area.

In the large galleries, the biggest planters I’ve ever seen hung from the ceiling. They contain everything from cape primrose to guzmania. Seeing plants that are normally grown in small spaces or cute planters able to grow to their full size is incredible. It made me realized how contained I keep my plants when they actually have the power to grow and spread.

The structure of the greenhouse feels disguised. Each concrete pillar is wrapped in creeping fig so you barely think about being indoors. The area next to the bathroom has a massive living wall along the entire hallway. The partially empty Exhibition Hall was flooded with a layer of water to create a reflecting pool below the potted palms.

The arrangements of plants are amazing. Every walkway is lined with border plantings and planters.

The side rooms off the main gallery contain playful areas that everyone from kids to grown adults will enjoy. There’s fountains, small areas to climb, and concealed nooks and crannies.

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Walk the Outdoor Grounds

It was unfortunately pretty rainy while I was there, but I did take some time to walk down the paved paths lined with beautiful trees.

The rest of the outdoor space is divided into so-called districts. The Chimes district, for example, has a bell tower and award-winning grown trees over sprawling lawns. The Lakes district feels like a visit to Europe, with the Italian water garden and lush landscape around two lakes. And the Main Fountain garden, its focal point a massive European-style garden, hosts water and light shows during the warmer months.

The Orchids Are Must-See

In the orchid room, 250 types of phalaenopsis and cattleya orchids are arranged along the walls at all four sides. You can go right up to them and give them a smell or admire the unique petals, or sit on a bench in the middle and feel surrounded by orchids. You’ll find 100 more vanda orchids in the silver garden.

Seeing all those types of orchids arranged together, I had a whole new appreciation for this tricky flowering plant. 

Visit the Gift Shop

Of course, you have to set aside time for a visit to the gift shop. There’s garden gear, plant books, homewares, and of course plants. I usually think of gift shops as being expensive spots where you’ll pay a premium, but the plants were actually very reasonably priced. I bought two unique philodendrons for $10 each.

Learn more about how to visit Longwood Gardens on their website.