Its springtime in the Hills of Litchfield and that means fields of daffodils swaying on hillsides, and peonies on show in Connecticut display gardens. Take a visit to Connecticut this spring and see the dazzling display for yourself.

Here are some suggestions from Janet L. Serra, Director, Litchfield Hills Connecticut:

Masses of Blooms:

Breathtaking daffodil displays are already in bloom at The Laurel Ridge Foundation, where the annual “Walk among the Daffodils” takes visitors among thousands upon thousands of blooms swaying in the breeze in natural settings.

Daffodils completely carpet the hillsides of this unspoiled landscape over 10 bucolic acres, made all the lovelier with aged stone walls and a sparkling lake dotted with two tiny islands.  The blossoms continue through May 1 at the Foundation, located on Wigwam Road, off Rte. 254 in Northfield, near Litchfield.

The 16th Annual Peony Festival at Cricket Hill Garden in Thomaston is open to the public from May 10 through June 15. The grounds encompass seven acres of fragrant flowering East Asian shrubs, most notably the Chinese tree peony, in a terraced, woodland setting.

Some 200 varieties of Chinese tree peonies are expected to peak in mid to late May this year, with different peonies blossoming every week during the festival’s five-week period.  The gardens are open to the public free Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Five acres of changing display gardens featuring bulbs and blooms of all kinds are open to the public beginning in April at White Flower Farm in Litchfield, one of the nation’s finest growers of perennial plants.  June is the peak month for perennials, and the time when the oversize blooms to be seen in the Tuberous Begonia House will be at their most spectacular.

Everyone is invited to a free Open House celebrating the season on June 20, when iced tea and cucumber sandwiches will be served on the lawn around 2:30 p.m.  The gardens, located at 167 Litchfield Road (Route 63), are open daily from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., through October.

Trade Secrets’ Rare Treasures:

This year’s 9th annual Trade Secrets show and sale is scheduled for Saturday, May 16, 2009 at Lion Rock Farm in Sharon from 10 am to 3 pm.  Nearly 60 vendors and garden antiques dealers from around the Northeast will be on hand with truckloads of treasures including hard-to-find specimens of flowers, bulbs, herbs, shrubs, and more.

Garden antiques dealers will show one-of-a-kind outdoor furniture, wrought-iron fencing and statuary.  Other wares for sale will include vintage and modern textiles, garden books old and new, and some novelty surprises for the garden.

On Sunday, May 17, 2009, from 10am to 4PM, four exquisite private gardens offering ideas and inspiration for home gardeners will be open to visitors.  They include the 15-acre Falls Village estate of interior designer Bunny Williams, the founder of Trade Secrets.  Other gardens on tour belong to Nancy McCabe in Falls Village, Old Farm Nursery in Lakeville and Michael Trapp in West Cornwall.

Tickets to the events, which are benefits for Women’s Support Services, are $35 for the sale, and $50 for garden tours if bought in advance.  Tickets are $60 on the day of the tour.

Again, my thanks to Janet Serra for supplying the information for today’s post. For more details and ideas on things to see and do in the Litchfield Hills of Connecticut visit the visitors bureau web site at www.litchfieldhills.com

For other destinations and attractions in Connecticut visit our special Connecticut vacations planning section by clicking here.

Another New England post by one of our writers is being prepared right now so be sure to visit again or just subscribe to our RSS Feed here and get notified automatically of events and news.

Cliff Calderwood
Publisher
New England Online Magazine

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