Longwood Gardens will bring back its autumn Chrysanthemum Festival later this month after skipping last year's display of the stunning "thousand bloom" plant and other varieties of fall's favorite flower. Longwood Gardens took a break from last year's festival to devote more attention to the opening of its new West Conservatory and other exhibits from the $250 million Longwood Reimagined project. During a December lecture for Longwood Gardens members, staff said the beloved 1,000 bloom chrysanthemum became a challenge in recent years due to difficulties with flowering. In years past, Longwood Gardens has abandoned the festival's highlight — despite months of preparation — when the flowers fail to thrive due to root-borne pathogens and other complications. Attendance at the Chrysanthemum Festival comes with a regular ticket for timed admission to Longwood Gardens.