Longwood gardens is the pride of my town, and my childhood backyard. I spent countless hours as a kid roaming through the seemingly endless acres of the gardens. As a student at UVM, I have realized how big of a name Longwood is in the horticultural world. The gardens are notoriously well kept, to a degree that is unmatched by nearly all other arboretums and gardens in the world. When talking to a Longwood intern, they told me about how they would need to wake up every morning at 5:45 AM to make sure there were no fallen leaves on the ground. When thinking about my location in Centennial Woods, Longwood seems like a whole different world. It seems distilled, sterile in a way, while my spot on the side of the hill is wild and messy and so beautifully unkempt. They seem two worlds apart, and in many ways, they are. Longwood is a prime example of man’s unexplained drive to prove that he can overcome nature, just like the early Vermont settlers had when they clear-cut mountains just to show that they could. I thought about leaving a gift, but didn’t want to get in trouble with the very strict Longwood staff.
