‘Longwood Reimagined’ documents massive renovation at gardens in Kennett Square

A new documentary will give viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the decadelong renovation of Longwood Gardens. 

In November, the Kennett Square attraction opened a new conservatory, bonsai home, office, restaurant and events space. In addition, the waterlily garden reopened in May after three years of renovations. The changes were part of a 10-year, $250 million project that’s documented in “Longwood Reimagined,” which airs at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday on WHYY. 

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The 90-minute documentary was filmed over four years and directed by Glenn Holsten, known for PBS’ “Wyeth” and “Hell or High Seas.” It’s narrated by “Abbott Elementary” star Sheryl Lee Ralph and includes interviews with architects, landscape designers and preservationists who worked on the project, which creators said was one of the most ambitions modern-day garden transformations.  

Longwood founder Pierre du Pont first started constructing the 17-acre gardens in 1907 and opened the original conservatory — an indoor, heated greenhouse — in 1912. Ten years ago, staff decided to add a new building and renovate existing spaces, and the documentary explores the tasks of preserving some of the historic elements while adding modern updates. 

The largest project in the renovation was the new West Conservatory, a 32,000-square-foot space with a Mediterranean garden featuring over 70 species. The structure is shaped like the nearby Brandywine Valley and includes sustainable upgrades like rain gutters, geothermal vents to keep visitors cool and a small dot pattern on the glass to prevent bird strikes. 

In addition to Tuesday’s showing, Longwood Gardens will hold additional screenings at the facility in the fall, although those dates have not been released. 

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