I’ve been sharing all things flowers and floral in recent posts here on ‘Coffee & Chiffon.’ From my weekend trip to Newport, to evening walks in Historic Deerfield– and I had mentioned sharing some of my favorite local places to stroll and snap photos amongst the blossoms at some point within the next couple of weeks. Well, with Spring officially and finally “Sprung” in the Pioneer Valley- what better time than now?
Prior to my move to Western Massachusetts, some of my favorite places to spend a beautiful Spring day was in Back Bay or Beacon Hill in Boston, or Mystic, Connecticut and in Woodstock, Vermont (and I’ll be visiting a couple of those places very, very soon!) but I wanted to focus on my own community and what is essentially my backyard for this post since Western Massachusetts has plenty of gorgeous spots that are worth the drive to see in-person!
And these are not ranked in any particular order, since I love all these locations equally!
Bridge of Flowers (Shelburne Falls)
I’ve written about the Bridge of Flowers plenty of times here on the blog. It’s a historic location that is gorgeous in the Spring and Summer and makes for an incredible backdrop for portrait sessions. This former trolley bridge was turned into a pedestrian pathway and garden in 1929 and had been a popular tourist destination ever since. Each year, this bridge comes to life with thousands of blossoms and bulbs- and is just feet away from Shelburne Falls’ bustling downtown area of independently owned shops and restaurants.
The bridge is presently undergoing repairs and is anticipated to reopen in 2025- and I highly recommend adding it to your “To-Do” list for next year!
Naumkeag (Stockbridge)
We all know how much I love historic homes and gardens- and Stockbridge, Massachusetts has no shortage of either. One of the most breathtaking and sprawling places to view an endless sea of tulips and daffodils in the Springtime is the Naumkeag estate. This 48-acre former Summer home to the Choate family hosts really great events throughout the year- from a Jack-o-Lantern display in October and a holiday light display in December.
But it’s their annual Springtime flower festival that is one of my favorites to visit each year because I can spend so much time there getting gorgeous photos- and it starts today (April 19th!)
The Botanic Garden at Smith College (Northampton)
Putting aside the complicated feelings I have towards Smith College and the dangerous lessons I feel they teach impressionable young students, I can’t deny that their campus has one of the best greenhouses in the Northeast and that their annual Bulb Show never fails to impress me in the years I’ve been stopping by. I had last visited in 2023 where I snapped some great photos during one of the first weekends of the display- but the greenhouse is open year-round to visitors and there’s plenty to see!
And, much like the Bridge of Flowers, the garden is a stone’s throw away from downtown Northampton- where you can easily spend an entire day with how much stuff there is to do.
Historic Deerfield (Deerfield)
I feel like I spend more time in Historic Deerfield than I do in my own apartment, but it’s one of those places that is truly exceptional year-round- including the Spring. I love to head over after work and take a couple of hours to make a few laps around the mile-long roadway that passes historic homes, farms, and the always beautiful Deerfield Academy (where they filmed ‘The Holdovers’, by the way!)
And while there aren’t expansive fields of wildflowers, there’s still plenty of blossoming trees to check out- and you can grab a bite to eat at Champney’s afterwards!
____________________
Those are just a handful of some of my favorite spots in and around my neighborhood, but there’s plenty of other greenhouses, farm stands, trails and gardens scattered throughout Western Massachusetts that you can check out. You just have to take a couple of days to come visit!
xo
Coffee & Chiffon 