As the cold weather fades, the days get longer, and the sunshine grows stronger, NYC Parks is welcoming spring’s warm embrace with a blooming guide to show you where and when to find flowers around the city, a spring Spotify playlist, Ranger-led park tours, and much more! In addition to the thousands of plants blooming across the city that Parks maintains, the department also cultivates trees, perennials, shrubs, and live plants in its nurseries, with close to 270,000 in various stages of growth preparing to be planted!
“Spring is a time for growth and renewal, and flowers have the power to brighten even the darkest of days,” said Matthew Morrow, NYC Parks Director of Horticulture. “One of my favorite spring blooming flowers is a native ephemeral, Mertensia virginica. Commonly called Virginia Bluebells, this plant’s flowers emerge white with a brilliant pinkish cast before turning blue and fading to purple. Look for them at the Brooklyn Heights Promenade on Pineapple Street.”
Whether you want to tiptoe through the tulips, rove with the Rangers, or cultivate your green thumb, NYC Parks has you covered for spring! Here are some of Parks’ seasonal activities to get New Yorkers into the spring spirit.
SIGNS OF SPRING:
Are Forsythias your favorite, or do Marsh Marigolds make you merry? Maybe you just have to see the Hawthorns or the awesome Azaleas before they’re hewn. On the NYC Parks Signs of Spring page, visitors can check to see if some of the city’s most popular flowers have been spotted blooming! Did you spot a sign of spring in our parks? We’d love to see it! Share your spring news with #SignsofSpringNYC!
RANGER TOURS:
Stretch out the winter wearies with a spring hike with the NYC Parks Urban Park Rangers! Search for buds, blooms, birds, and other signs of spring in High Rock Park on Staten Island on the Signs of Spring Hike, or take part in a Spring Scavenger Hunt in Crotona Park in the Bronx. Registration is required, and groups will be capped to ensure proper social distancing — so register today!
“IN BLOOM” SPOTIFY PLAYLIST:
As you tiptoe thru’ the tulips, pop in your headphones and tune out with our In Bloom playlist on Spotify! Featuring such hits as Poison’s “Every Rose Has It’s Thorn,” “Como La Flor” by Selena, and “(Nothing But) Flowers” by the Talking Heads, Parks has curated the perfect playlist to get you in the spirit for spring.
HOME GARDENING TIPS:
Looking to bring a little bit of spring into your home, or your flowerbed? Look no further — NYC Parks’ expert gardeners have you covered! Parks horticulturists plant millions of flowers and native plants each year in New York City, and they have a lot of advice to share for beginner and experienced gardeners alike! Visit NYC Parks’ Home Gardening Tips and Tricks from Our Gardeners page to get all the best advice.
Read about NYC Parks launching its first orienteering course at Alley Pond Park in Queens.
It’s a great time of year to run the 6-mile Central Park Loop recently named for Ted Corbitt.
NYC Parks Greenthumb + Partners overhauled 15 Community Gardens in 2020.
Read more happening in our NYC Parks.
#SignsOfSpringNYC