Spring Flowers & Gardens in Fairfield County

Since opening to the public in 1966, the mission of the Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens in Stamford has been to cultivate and develop a diverse collection of trees, gardens, and plants for all to explore, enjoy and study; and, through education and stewardship, provide a greener, healthier, more beautiful environment. Plant collections are the backbone of an arboretum, and Bartlett has too many to name here, you must see them for yourself. Of special note is their Sensory Garden, devoted to plants that emphasize the five senses: sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch, all to be experienced first-hand.

On August 31, 1781, after repeated appeals from the civilian population, Governor Jonathan Trumbull agreed to erect Fort Stamford, a permanent fortification to defend the Stamford-Greenwich area from British attacks. Explore Revolutionary War history, learn about flowers and gardening, and take memorable photos at the beautiful Goodbody Garden enclosed within the white Italianate balustrades of the fort. Take a walk under the shady stone-pillared pergola; surround yourself with the sweet fragrance of peonies; admire the beautiful urn in the sunken garden and relax on a bench under falling magnolia blossoms.

The 40-acre New Canaan Nature Center is a natural oasis, offering two miles of easy-to-walk trails, crisscrossing meadows and lush woodlands, where you can stroll across a 350-foot boardwalk through a cattail marsh, explore two ponds and survey the treetops from an observation tower. Guests will enjoy browsing in the perennial, herb, and wildflower gardens as well as an impressive greenhouse filled with exotic tropical plants. Birds and butterflies abound, in addition to birds of prey, furry mammals, reptiles and amphibians, thanks to an unusually diverse collection of habitats.

Each spring, visitors to the Colorblends House & Spring Garden and restored 1903 Colonial Revival  mansion in Bridgeport can stroll through an evolving display of color as 40,000 snowdrops, crocuses, daffodils, tulips and other spring flowers bloom in sequence. Design ideas and creative blends abound in this intimate garden, which is a collaboration between Bridgeport-based Colorblends Wholesale Flowerbulbs and distinguished Dutch garden designer Jacqueline van der Kloet. 

Weir Farm National Historic Site in Wilton is the only National Park Service site dedicated to American painting, and was home to three generations of American artists, including Julian Alden Weir, a leading figure in American art and the development of American Impressionism. One visit to this 60-acre park featuring scenic woods, fields, and waterways makes it abundantly clear why Weir described this verdant oasis as “the Great Good Place.” Weir Farm is a national legacy to American Impressionism, the creative spirit, and historic preservation, and includes the Weir House, Weir and Young Studios, barns, gardens, and Weir Pond, one of the nation’s finest remaining landscapes of American art.