I have a complicated relationship/history with Smith College. While I’ve met some incredible alumni and faculty from there over the years, I’ve also encountered (firsthand) and am keenly aware of an underlying and toxic environment among some of the students and staff that seems to actively discourage young and impressionable female students from taking any responsibility for their actions. Instead, these students are conditioned to skirt accountability for behavior that has deeply impacted the community around them, and to wildly project when they are taken to task.
I hope to someday write about my experiences over the years with Smith when the time is right. Until then, I don’t spend much time in or around campus if I can help it (save for the occasional theater production or wedding reception- like the one I went to last Fall.) There is one event at the college that I do genuinely enjoy attending, however- and given that it’s a seasonal specialty- it makes this a limited time ‘Local Loves.’
Every year, for the majority of the month of March, Smith College’s Botanical Garden hosts it’s annual Bulb Show- which is perfect if you’re like me and just want a little bit of Spring to keep you going this time of the season when Winter is being stubborn and the snow just won’t stop coming.
Kicking off this past weekend and running through March 19th, this year’s Bulb Show features over 8,000 blooms- from daffodils, tulips, roses and freesia (and so much more!) as well as tropical plants, cacti and student artwork on display throughout winding rooms and halls. I stopped by on Saturday morning with Dan during the tail end of another snowstorm that hit the area overnight on Friday, and although the place filled up pretty quickly right after we got there (it seems like everyone had the same idea,) I still managed to take a lot of great photos. Like, a lot.
My strong feelings about certain aspects of and methods learned at Smith College aside, their greenhouses never fail to amaze me- and if you find yourself in Northampton between now and the end of March- I highly recommend checking this one out. It’s open and free to the public, with plenty of parking and dining options within a reasonableness walking distance.
I’m so glad I got to see this one again- especially since the last Bulb Show I was able to stop by was pre-COVID.
It feels like ages ago, but the displays are better than ever!
xo
Coffee & Chiffon 