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Botanic Garden at Smith College, Annual Spring Bulb Show
March 4 - March 19
The Annual Spring Bulb Show Botanic Garden of Smith College
With over 8,000 bulbs brought to flower, you won’t want to miss this year’s Spring Bulb Show. From daffodils to hyacinths, tulips (of course) to freesia, fritillaria to muscari, Lyman Conservatory will be the place you want to visit come early March. Our greenhouse horticulturists and Smith College work study students have been hard at work coaxing these bulbs to flower for the show. This year’s show will also feature something new: commissioned artwork from three Smith College student artists.
While visiting the show, don’t miss the Into the Glasshouse exhibit on display in the Church Gallery featuring stunning student work that was inspired by the plant collection at Lyman. And be sure to walk through the other Lyman houses to view the artwork created from students in the J-Term botanic garden paper making class, Papermaking with Plants.
The annual Bulb Show is a Smith College tradition that began in the early 1900s. Ordinarily blooming at different times throughout the spring, the flowers have been coaxed into blooming simultaneously. In October, Smith College horticulture students potted bulbs and put them into cold storage. Starting in January, the bulbs are moved into the greenhouses and with careful timing and temperature control they are all blooming in time for the Show.
The display is open to the public daily from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. On Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, the show is open until 8:00 pm. The suggested donation is $5.00. Special members-only hours, daily from 9:00 am to 10:00 am (please bring your membership card or you may join when you get here), provide a less crowded experience of the show.
The Botanic Garden is wheelchair accessible. Parking is available on College Lane for the two weeks of the Bulb Show.
The Spring Bulb Show always opens the first Saturday in March and runs for two weeks including the third weekend.
Fall Chrysanthemum Show
Opens the first Saturday in November; runs for two weeks including the third weekend.
Hours: 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM daily.
Extended hours: Fridays 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Suggested Donation: $5.00
