If I had been less distracted by tulips and planting gardens this week I might have remembered to promote an excellent event that has brought all sorts of people who had never before heard of Blithewold (perish the thought!) here today. Members of the American Public Gardens Association opened their doors all across the country to those in the know (National Public Gardens Day was promoted by Better Homes & Gardens this year) and as the only open garden in Rhode Island we’ve seen lots of new faces. It’s wonderful! And I hope we see them again.

After all, we don’t do all of the planting we did this week (about 600 new and transplanted plants went in the ground) for our own amusement. (Not that I’m not amused because I totally am.) And even though we’ve told everyone we talked to that we planted for the pollinators, we didn’t actually plant it just for the bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. We did it – we do all of it including the weeding, raking, mowing, sowing, watering and deadheading – for you, our human visitors and our beloved members. And we hope you’re thoroughly amused. And maybe inspired too.

Where else but a public garden can you see so many tulips labeled for easy decision making come July catalog time? And where else but Blithewold can you stroll in the sunshine along the waters edge and then through the deep shade of a bamboo grove?

Did you visit a public garden today? Were you inspired? Did you become a member?