The clouds of winter have finally given way to a beautiful spring. What better way to enjoy the blooming flowers and sunny afternoons of spring than to explore one of the East Coast’s beautiful public conservatories. We’ve come up with a list of activities in celebration of the season hosted by some of the country’s top East Coast Conservatories.

Orchid Evenings at New York Botanical Garden

Enjoy a colorful night out exploring designer Jeff Leatham’s ‘The Orchid Show’ as performers take the stage and the Bronx Night Market provides signature cocktails and local cuisine.  Leatham transforms the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory into a palace of flowers and a kaleidoscope of color inspired by orchids.

Dynamic performances include Grammy-nominated Harold O’Neal and Vogue dancer-choreographer Princess Lockeroo as they lead a dance party in the conservatory. The 60-minute show features live performances, five choreographed works and a finale runway show. 

The event is exclusive to adults 21+ and will be held on Saturdays from March 26 to April 23, 2022. Advanced ticket purchase is required to guarantee your seat. Check out their website for more information.

A Million Blooms at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens 

A grand celebration of spring! Butterflies, bugs, pollinators, daffodils, tulips, peonies, and roses are the stars of the season and of the event! This event runs from Friday, April 1 until Wednesday, June 1, 2022. To plan your visit, the garden maps out when each floral typically blooms:

• April | Daffodils, tulips, bluebells
• May | Peonies, azaleas, pitcher plants
• June | Lotuses, roses
• Always in the conservatory are orchids, tropicals, cacti

Get up close with hundreds of tropical butterflies in the Butterflies LIVE! indoor exhibit. They will feed, flutter and land on you as you learn all about this beautiful bug. Not a fan of live bugs? Check out artist David Rogers’ Big Bugs: The Pollinators exhibition throughout the trees’ branches throughout the garden. 

Ready to plant your own garden? Purchase a plant from more than 40 vendors selling everything from classic favorites to rare exotic plants. The event is free to attend, though the botanical gardens do charge admission. Check back on the website as the date gets closer to see a full list of plants on sale. Tanglewood recently interviewed the landscape architects who helped design Lewis Ginter, click the button below to read about its creation!

Spring Flower Show: Sunshine and Rainbows at Phipps Conservatory

Opening Saturday, March 19 the flower show promises a vibrant display. Lasting just four weeks there will be tens of thousands of spring blooms on display, including: lilies, amaryllis, tulips, muscari, nemesia, kalanchoe, lobelia and so many more colorful florals. 

The rainbow-inspired show was designed by Phipps Associate Director of exhibits, Jordyn Melino. Flowers sprawl across three display beds throughout the South Conservatory. Also new to the conservatory, an exhibit about tropical forests in Hawaii and their plants, animals, history and culture. 

If you are looking for plants for your own garden, you can purchase a plant from Phipps’ curated selection of native plants online now through Monday, March 28, 2022. The conservatory is selling strips of four or five native plant plugs of ten plant species native to the northeast region. They have all been selected as Phipps Sustainable Plants. According to their website:

 “These are plants that not only feed and foster native bees, butterflies and birds, they are also disease and pest resistant, will not spread aggressively and need little additional care once established.”

Orders can be placed on their website, however orders must be picked up in person at Phipps Garden Center in Mellon Park, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 

Spring Blooms at Longwood Gardens

Colorful flowers blanketing the fields of Longwood Gardens, spring is a beautiful time to visit the gardens. Spring blooms run from Saturday, April 2 to May 1, 2022. The flower garden walk and the idea garden are expected to bloom in late April into May. The beautiful wisteria garden vibrantly blooms in May. 

Spend Easter weekend (April 16 and 17) at the gardens and enjoy a flower-filled walk as a live string quartet plays throughout the afternoon. Advanced tickets are required to guarantee your place. 

Not On The East Coast?

We’ve rounded up an extended list of conservatories to explore that may be closer to you!