Cape Cottage Garden

It would be impossible to stroll through Cape Cottage Garden in spring without experiencing little frissons of joy at the garden’s full-throated celebration of the season.

Spring starts slowly with the snowdrops, scilla, crocuses, daffodils and muscari - and then builds to a crescendo in late April as thousands of gorgeous tulips burst into bloom.  Tulips, daffodils and other signs of spring can be found nearly everywhere in the 1.4-acre cottage garden; daffodils nod in pastel colors from garden beds; tulips encircle cottage-style rose arbors; bulbs of all kinds meander along the entire back foundation of the house, enliven the raised bed gardens and fill containers that flank the Cape Cod-style buildings. The tulip display, which consists of 4,000+ tulips and several thousand daffodils, is designed and planted by owner Heather Thomas, a solar-powered Floridian who rejoices at every sign that winter is fading and warmer days lie ahead.

Heather tops off her spring display by adding thousands of new bulbs each fall (which she plants by hand using her bulb auger in a naturalistic style) to ensure that each year’s display sparks as much joy as last year’s did.The experience of wandering amid thousands of vibrant tulips nodding in the spring sunshine tucked artfully into a private garden setting is like walking into a living, pastel Monet painting. After a long gray winter, visitors describe it as an experience that feeds their souls all year long.

If you'd like to learn more about Cape Cottage garden, feel free to visit the garden online at Cape Cottage garden and follow Heather on Instagram at @cape_cottage_garden.

Please note: This garden joined the Open Days season after the publication of the 2023 Open Days Directory.

Open Days 2023: Saturday, April 29
Hours: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.