I loved our little walk-and-“talk” last week! In April, many of my responsibilities shift from behind-the-scenes support for our horticulture team to nearly nonstop communications. I enjoy the change of pace. I love teaching. And, since I’m giving so many in person tours this week, I’ll continue on with some brief notes here at the beginning of the update followed by detailed images and descriptions for the best sense of what’s going on in The Garden.

If you can enjoy only one area this week, make it the Rapp Family Ravine. When dreamed up over 100 years ago, it was built to be its most beautiful at spring and autumn when the estate owners were most likely to be home to enjoy it. This week is literally what that garden was designed for, the original immersive experience!

Now…there’s a week every year where I think the most blasphemous thing. The words catch in my throat. It’s an admission that I know I shouldn’t utter aloud, let alone put in writing. But, we’ve grown close over the last few seasons of these updates, right? You’ll keep my secret?

I’m tired of talking about tulips. There! I said it. I’ll take whatever (metaphorical) shade you want to throw my way. I understand how spoiled I am to get the opportunity to hold this opinion and have, what I feel, is a fair amount of shame around the matter.

Despite my weariness on the subject, I do have to give those blousy blooms credit. The tulip displays have held on a lot longer than they had any right to in this heat. They’re going out with a bang so savor these sweet moments of charismatic color.

And, perhaps a peek into my past will help you understand why I’m ready to move on. You see, I’m a woody plant geek at heart. Most of my formative professional experiences were at arboreta (tree museums) and I will alwayshave a passionate love affair with living collections of trees and shrubs. This is the annual moment where our Living Collection really sparkles.

You can’t physically be at Newfields this week without seeing something stunning, so take the opportunity to soak it in. Come along as we walk through campus and enjoy the beauty of this fleeting moment together.

Warmest Wishes,

Jaime Frye

P.S. Want to hop on a Spring Blooms presented by Wild Birds Unlimited tour? Join our garden guides or horticulture staff.

1/14

Let’s start at the very beginning (it’s a very good place to start). Curator of Herbaceous Plants and Seasonal Garden Design Irvin Etienne’s Flag Pole planting is almost blindingly bright with single late tulips (Tulipa ‘Renown’). What an entrance.