Cheers to “the beginning of event’s season!” as one friend refrerred to it. Until just a few years ago, “the season” didn’t start until Memorial Day; now April is a month packed with activities predominately honoring “Le Daffodil” (as I affectionately like to call them). Last week’s post prompted a number of comments, each in their own way capturing the magic of this flower that is such a harbinger of spring…”sunshine patches on the ground,” “beautiful rays of spring sunshine,”and “trumpets announcing spring’s arrival.”
One gentleman in town, Ronald Lee Fleming, has been an inspiring source through his Daffodillion Project, adding1.5 million daffodils as mass plantings throughout Newport — on the storied Cliff Walk, along islands dividing major streets, and city entryways, like the large grass plots along both ends of Easton’s Beach.
Additionally, his own elegant estate is enhanced at this time of the year with judiciously placed clusters, swaths, and blankets of daffodils. Note how they dress up his iconic Ogden Codman-designed residence…
and garden follies, as in the feature image of his tea house, (a replica of an 18th century Samuel McIntire creation in Darby, Massachusetts) and a cupola copied from a Massachusetts church by the same architect.
On other private properties, owners have captured the magic of the daffodils in their own way…
under Newport’s mighty beeches in the early dawn…
or greeting guests at the gate next to a bronze recumbent lion.
Hope you’re enjoying this most welcome sign that winter is over and spring is here.
Although the chilly air has returned it has not deterred the arrival of Spring. I am reminded of this as I drive along Rt 6A through Sandwich and beyond. Mother Nature’s rebirth is once again enhanced with rows of daffodils gracing the edges of everyone’s property. The burst of golden color is so joyful and a reminder of hope and healing. I love the idea of starting the “season of events” in April and I love Ronald Lee Fleming’s residential property. Cheers to another hopeful season!
Thank you for this lovely article!
It just sounds like…a preview to “heaven on earth”…absolutely DIVINE!! TY!! franki
Beautiful and inspiring! Thank you. My grandmother in law being from Danvers, a collector of art glass such as French cameo glass, I heard stories about old-old Danvers including the original model for the lovely Newport tea house which was– “The Derby Summer House (sometimes called the McIntire Tea house) … designed by Samuel McIntire for Elias Haskett Derby of Salem in 1793 and was constructed by McIntire in July 1794 on Derby’s farm on Andover Street (Route 114) in Danvers (now Peabody).” https://www.danvershistory.org/visit-us/national-historic-landmark-derby-summer-house/
Every town should be so lucky to have a daffodil project – beautiful, the homes are all absolutely lovely to say the least!
AS THE FORMER HOUSEMAN, CUM: ‘BUTLER-IN-TRAINING’, FOR ‘FAIRHOLME’S’
MRS. ROBERT R. YOUNG, C. 1966, YOUR PHOTO OF THE FRONT LAWN, NOW BEING USED FOR TENNIS – IS A MOST POSITIVE ENHANCEMENT.
YOUR GIFT FOR FINDING BEAUTY IN EACH SEASON IS TRULY A BLESSING.
THANK YOU!
Every town should have such care, thought, commitment and funding put into making their green spaces this lovely! WOW.