Tag Archives: tulips

TULIPOMANIA AT TIP TOP TULIPS! THE FLOWERS ARE MAGICAL AND and lots of fairy princesses on the scene!

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Tip Top Tulips promises to be a show stopper this Mother’s Day weekend with fields blooming in prime glorious beauty! My friend Paul has created yet another enchanting and magical flower experience for the community (see School Street Sunflowers). Visiting Tip Top Tulips to celebrate Mother’s Day is a wonderful way to spend time with your Mom, wife, girlfriend, and family. Well-behaved dogs on leashes are welcome, too. And on a recent visit, if you can imagine, I ran into half a dozen fairy princesses <3

Only a very few varieties of tulips have gone past and there are loads and loads of fresh flowers to pick (I can attest that Paul’s freshly picked tulips last a good ten days!). The array of colors is beyond exquisite, from brilliant jewel tones to softly-hued pastels, along with every imagined shape and pattern, from dippled and dappled, to striped and ruffled. Deanna Gallagher’s adorable and family friendly Shetland Sheep are visiting Tip Top Tulips as well, along with a beautiful young calf.

Paul and friend Liam

There are plenty of times available on Saturday, May 8th. Sunday, Mother’s Day, times are available between 9 and 10, and after 4:30ish. After this weekend, the fields will still be beautiful so I would check with Paul on how much longer Tip Top Tulips is planning to stay open.

Tip Top Tulips is located at 71 Town Farm Road in Ipswich.

Fo more information, visit Tip Top Tulips website here and follow on Instagram here.

 

 

TIP TOP TULIPS PICK YOUR OWN CUTTING GARDEN OPENS TODAY!

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Tip Top Tulips cutting field opens today! SEE MORE HERE

MAGICAL TIP TOP TULIPS NEW FARM FUN – COME ON DOWN AND PICK YOUR OWN!

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You may recall that I have written a number of times about my friend Paul Wegzyn and his stunning and enchanting School Street Sunflowers. Paul has created another magically enchanted flower experience for the community! This past autumn, Paul, and his Dad Paul, planted several hundred thousand tulips at two different fields.

Early red tulips in bloom today!

The smaller field at 22 School Street, Ipswich, is opening on Sunday, April 18th. This field is planted for pick-your-own tulips. Charming wicker baskets are provided and the cost is $1.00 per stem.

The second field, named Tip Top Tulips (located at 71 Town Farm  Road, Ipswich ), is going to be the show stopper. Rows and rows of beautiful multi-colored tulips, from early flowering varieties  to late flowering cultivars will be blooming over the next two months. Tip Top Tulips is scheduled to tentatively open the following week, approximately April 24th, depending on the weather.

The theme this first year for Tip Top Tulips is Love, in honor of Paul’s Mom, and as with School Street Sunflowers, there will be beautiful photo vignettes positioned around the field.

 

Deanna Gallagher will have her adorable and friendly Shetland Sheep and cows at Tip Top field, providing even more fun and wonderful photo moments for the family. Charlotte had the best time with Deanna and her goats at School Street Sunflowers last summer and I cannot wait to take her to Tip Top Tulips this spring!

 

Fo more information, visit Tip Top Tulips website here and follow on Instagram here.

PICK YOUR OWN BOUQUET OF FABULOUSNESS AT CEDAR ROCK GARDENS!

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Elise and Tucker’s fields of fabulous tulips are begging to be picked.

Why do the tulips at Cedar Rock Gardens always open with such exquisite beauty I wonder? Must be all that TLC they apply <3

CEDAR ROCK GARDENS OPENS TODAY!

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You never know what beautiful pollinator you will encounter while shopping at Cedar Rock Gardens! Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and Sunflower, Cedar Rock Gardens

For more information visit Cedar Rock Gardens website here and see post from earlier this week.

CEDAR ROCK GARDENS OPENING FOR THE SEASON THIS COMING THURSDAY!!!

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This beautiful lady in the pick-your-own peony patch.

Cedar Rock Gardens, the fabulous organic and homegrown nursery owned by Elise Jilson and Tucker Smith, is opening on Thursday April 19th. They will be open everyday. See below for hours of operation and the complete selection of flower, vegetable, and herb seedlings that will be available to purchase this spring. Cedar Rock Gardens is located at 290 Concord Street in West Gloucester, just minutes off of Route 133.

A small sampling of just some of the flowers and veggies you will find at Cedar Rock Gardens, and a reminder that spring truly will be here soon.

For more information, check out Cedar Rock Garden website here.

COMPLETE LIST OF PLANTS AND GARDEN RELATED PRODUCTS CEDAR ROCK GARDEN SPRING 2018

READ MORE HERE

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SPRING AT THE MARY PRENTISS INN GARDENS!

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Poppies Mary Prentiss inn Cambridge MA copyright Kim SmithPoppies popping, tulips resplendent, and flower pots poised to bedazzle, The Mary Prentiss Inn, conveniently located near Harvard University, is an utterly charming bed and breakfast, outfitted with all modern amenities (and a secret garden around back). Homemade breakfast is served daily, along with freshly baked treats for afternoon tea. Jennifer, the proprietor, and Lisa, who runs the front desk, could not be more welcoming. For graduation, business, or simply a romantic get away in the heart of Cambridge, The Mary Prentiss Inn is tops!!

Tulips Mary Prentiss inn Cambridge MA copyright Kim SmithThe Mary Prentiss Inn front dooryard gardenTulips Garden Mary Prentiss inn Cambridge MA copyright Kim Smith

Tulips in the city were hard hit by a cycle of freezing and thawing, after they had started to emerge. Nonetheless the tulips at the Inn are still blooming great guns!Planters Mary Prentiss inn Cambridge MA copyright Kim Smith

https://www.instagram.com/p/BFWifCwDyms/

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE MARY PRENTISS INN ~ YANKEE MAGAZINE BEST OF!

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Tulip Garden Mary Prentiss Inn Cambridge ©Kim Smith 2015The Mary Prentiss Inn was named Yankee Magazine’s Best Inn, Greater Boston Area, and deservedly so!

As many of our readers have come to know from photos I’ve posted here, the beautiful family-owned and operated Inn is one of my landscape design projects.

Tulip Garden Mary Prentiss Inn Cambridge -6 ©Kim Smith 2015Jennifer Fandetti, the Inn’s proprietor, and daughter-in-law of Cambridge artist Charlotte Forsythe and architect Gerald Fandetti, maintains The Mary Prentiss to the highest standards. The welcoming hospitality, combined with the gracious decor of the meticulously restored Greek Revival manor, along with their famously delicious breakfasts and afternoon tea, will make your stay truly memorable. During warmer months guests are invited to dine and relax in the exquisite secret garden.

Centrally located in the heart of Cambridge, and appointed with every modern amenity, when planning a trip to the Greater Boston/Cambridge area I highly recommend a stay at The Mary Prentiss Inn!Tulip Garden Mary Prentiss Inn Cambridge -4 ©Kim Smith 2015

In autumn I mix a special custom collection of spring flowering bulbs for my clients based on their preferences and the architectural features unique to their business or residence. The colors of the tulips in this year’s collection for The Mary Prentiss Inn are simply scintillating and especially beautiful juxtaposed against the warm creamy yellow tones of the exterior paint, emerald green of the boxwoods, and forest green of the hollies. You have to be very cautious in managing the colors though because a symphony can easily become a cacophony!Tulip Garden Mary Prentiss Inn Cambridge -5©Kim Smith 2015

Tulip Garden Mary Prentiss Inn Cambridge -3 ©Kim Smith 2015The orange parrot tulip in the photo above is a very old cultivar. Unlike the vast majority of tulips today, which are mostly scentless, this has a dreamy fragrance of citrus and honeysuckle.

Tulip Garden Mary Prentiss Inn Cambridge -7 ©Kim Smith 2015For more information visit The Mary Prentiss Inn Facebok Page here and website here.11182134_670991599673112_5821006340464767566_n

Dreaming of Spring Ephemerals at the Mary Prentiss Inn!

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Spring Tulips Mary Prentiss Inn Cambridge MA. ©Kim Smith 2014JPGLoads of earth-moving in the fall equals a world of beauty in the spring. Thanks to my awesome crew, Patrick from the Mary Prentiss Inn and Jackson from the Kendall Hotel!

Jackson and Patrick Mary Prentiss Inn ©Kim Smith 2014jpg copy

The Mary Prentiss Inn is truly the most welcoming of guest houses and yesterday while there planting the smell of the cook’s apple muffins baking wafted through the garden. A bit later, plates of warm muffins greeted guests; I couldn’t resist when offered. They were divine and are without a doubt the best muffins I’ve ever tasted! I’ve been promised the recipe and can’t wait to give it a go and to share!

mary-prentiss-inn-c2a9kim-smith-2013

For more information on the project, visit my Design Projects page here.

Link to The Mary Prentiss Inn here.

Spring Has Sprung at Willowdale! FREE Event in the Garden Tuesday Night!

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Pink Tulips Willowdale Estate ©Kim Smith 2014The tulips are at peak perfection, and just in time for my Artist Spotlight Event! The warm weather this weekend coaxed many to bloom, and the cooler temperatures predicted will keep them very pretty.

Tulips Willowdale Estate ©Kim Smith 2014.I hope you can come and enjoy an evening of Willowdale’s hospitality and signature refreshments, the garden tour, and screening of my film, Life Story of the Black Swallowtail Butterfly.

For ticket information and to RSVP click here.

Spring Tulips Willowdale Estate ©Kim Smith 2014.Happy Spring!

 

Happy Easter! Happy Passover! and Happy Spring!

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The Power of Flowers!

Pink Tulip ©Kim Smith 2013White Bleeding Heart ©Kim Smith 2012Feathered Tulips © Kim Smith 2012Purple Pink Tulips © Kim Smith 2013Carolina Silverbell Pink ©Kim Smith 2013Pink Carolina Silverbell is a native flowering tree (Halesia tetraptera var. rosea)

Carmine tulip ©Kim Smith 2013 copyTemple of Beauty

American Dogwood Cornus Florida © Kim Smith 2012Native American Dogwood ~ Cornus florida

Tulips Mary Prentiss Inn Cambridge ©Kim Smith 2013Mary Prentiss Inn Cambridge

Red Tulip ©Kim Smith 2012

Think Spring!

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Narcissus 'Geranium' ©Kim Smith 2012

Narcissus ‘Geranium’

Tulipa Willowdale Estate ©Kim Smith2012

Bleeding Heart and Tulips Willowdale Estate ©Kim Smith2012.

Bleeding Heart and Tulips

Tulip Garden Willowdale Estate ©Kim Smith2012.

Tulip Garden Willowdale Estate Topsfield

Fall Planting at Willowdale Estate

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Fall Planting for Spring Tulipomania at Willowdale ~ 1,500 bulbs planted, only 1500 more to go!

The Super Fantastic Willowdale Facilities Team

Right to left ~ Dale, James, and Greg

Willowdale Estate ~ A Stunning Special Events Venue

North Shore Wedding Magazine

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Click any photo to view slideshow-

For weeks I had planned to photograph the tulips in bloom at Willowdale, but only in the late afternoon sun. Each afternoon I headed out, the sky grew overcast. Last Monday the sun shown gloriously the entire day.

Fortunately I caught the tail end of North Shore Wedding Magazine photographing their Premier Issue in the gardens at Willowdale. North Shore Wedding Magazine is a brand new biannual publication featuring quality North Shore wedding professionals and venues, and is the sister publication to New Hampshire Wedding Magazine.

Sarah Boucher’s (Willowdale’s Planning Manager) lovely table styling for the North Shore Wedding Magazine photo shoot.

Kristina Hathaway with model

I hope this does not sound boastful however am mentioning because I just love it when people understand the design intention of a project. Kristina Hathaway remarked that she loved the feminine quality of the garden’s design juxtaposed against the masculine architecture of the stone mansion—music to my ears! The design challenges at Willowdale are multifold, yet rewarding, and from April 1st to until the first week of November you will find the gardens in bloom!

Tuesday evening, June 12, at 7:00 pm come join me in the gardens at Willowdale Estate. Enjoy refreshments and a tour of the garden, followed by a showing of my film “The Butterfly Garden at Willowdale Estate.”  RSVP to Info@Willowdale Estate.

Click any photo to view slide show-

C’est la Vie!

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Dear Gardening Friends, Think Spring! Come join the North Shore Garden Club for what promises to be a wonderful event. I will be there and available to answer questions about the butterfly garden. Hope to see you there! Warmest wishes, Kim

C'est la Vie North Shore Garden Club

The North Shore Garden Club is hosting a beautiful exhibition of all things flowers, which will be held at historic Willowdale Estate in Topsfield, Massachusetts. The grounds are open to the public and the event includes classes in flower arranging, photography, and horticulture, and all is free.
The North Shore Garden Club (established in 1915) is a member of the Garden Club of America and was created for the purpose of stimulating interest in all aspects of gardening as well as to support civic beauty and conservation of natural resources.
Of note at Willowdale this past week…
Tulipomania at WillowdaleTulipomania at Willowdale
A sea of fabulously fragrant narcissus Fujifilm x100An intoxicatingly fragrant sea of narcissus
Magnolia virginiana bud Fujifilm x100Magnolia virginiana bud

Tulipomania at Willowdale!

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Tulips Blooming at Willowdale Estate Topsfield Massachusetts

The bridal season has begun and the grounds are topfull of tulips and sweetly scented jonquils. While photographing with eyes and nose at flower height, I am intoxicated by the the heady perfume emanating from the narcissus and the splendorous hues and broken patterns of the shimmering satin tulip petals–and dreaming about making cocktail dresses in every colorway! Lenna (from Willowdale) and I are creating a book of garden photographs for the brides, and because all the flowers and butterflies are so gorgeous, it is a challenge to decide what photos to include. Dan Pritchard, who works for my publisher, David Godine, suggested that I post  regular updates on what is currently in bloom at Wdale and I think it is a great idea. The following are a few potential candidate photographs to add to the spring section of our photo book.

Tulips Blooming at Willowdale Estate Topsfield Massachusetts

Tulips and Narcissus Blooming at Willowdale Estate Topsfield Massachusetts

The new pergola designed by Gerald Fandetti, Architect

Pergola designed by Gerald Fandetti, Architect

Native dogwood (Cornus florida) with tulips

Native dogwood (Cornus florida)

Wisteria Arbor in the Butterfly Courtyard

Wisteria Arbor in the Butterfly Courtyard at Willowdale Estate, Topsfield

Viridiflora Tulip ‘Greenland’