The High Pointe Inn » Brewster in Bloom

Everything’s Coming Up Roses, and Daffodils, and Rhodies on Cape Cod

admin — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 16:03:08 +0000

Spring has finally arrived on Cape Cod and with it the promise of colorful blossoms, flowering trees, and the return of green lawns and leafy trees. Though not yet quite warm enough to dig seriously in the dirt, the changing light and lengthening days gives us hope that soon we will be witness to mother nature’s glorious rebirth. Having just returned from our annual trek to see the grandkids in the Pacific Northwest, where daffodils were bobbing bright yellow heads and the cherry trees were in full bloom, I for one am longing for spring’s first delicate flowers to bloom in my garden. Of course, following my mother’s annual spring tradition, I did clip a few branches of our forsythia and forced them into bloom right after the vernal equinox. But we are still a few weeks away from any real color in the garden. However, there is hope on the horizon, and time for me to check the calendar for some of my favorite garden events held annually on Cape Cod. If you’re a gardener, or in need of some earthly delights, check out the upcoming schedule of events planned over the next few months. And don’t forget the “Spring Fling” package at the High Pointe Inn for an excellent opportunity to bring the season home with you.

4/29-5/1 37th Annual Daffodil Festival Weekend: Enjoy the Daffodil Show, Daffy dog Parade, Antique Car Parade and more on the island of Nantucket.

4/29-5/1 Brewster in Bloom, sponsored by the Brewster Chamber of Commerce focuses on craft shows, culinary events, and open houses.

4/30 and 5/7 Daffodil Days: A celebration of blooming daffodils with guided tours. Spohr Gardens, 45 Fells Road, Falmouth, MA.

5/21-30 Rhododendron Festival: 10 days of horticultural tours, talks, cooking demonstrations, plein air painting and photography workshops. Heritage Museum & Gardens, Pine & Grove Street, Sandwich, MA

6/30 Enchanted Gardens Tour of Hyannisport: A walking tour of Cape Cod gardens. Contact Arlene Hoxie at 508-888-3300 for more information and tickets.

5/2 Paintings with Flowers: Demonstration of pen and ink combined with pressed flowers, which takes place at the Cape Cod Museum of Art in Dennis, MA.

5/13-15 Annual Herb Festival: Learn various uses for herbs through lecture and demonstration. Green Briar Nature Center, Sandwich, MA.

6/3-5 Wildflower Garden Festival: Art classes in the garden, guided walks, lectures, and afternoon tea are the highlights of this annual three-day event. Green Briar Nature Center, Sandwich, MA.

6/10 14th Annual Secret Garden Tour, sponsored by the Provincetown Art Association & Museum: Guided walking tour of beautiful gardens and an exhibition of floral arrangements in the galleries.

6/11 Bass River Garden Stroll: A benefit event for the Cultural Center of Cape cod in south Yarmouth. Tour 8-10 gorgeous gardens and witness artist at work.

7/14 Garden Party by the Sea: The Osterville Garden Clubs hosts this event that allows a glimpse into seven gracious homes and gardens.

Cape Cod Events Calendar 2011

admin — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 15:40:08 +0000

I woke up this morning to sunshine after two gray and rainy days on Cape Cod and decided that it’s time for some inspiration. After all it’s only 38 days now until daylight savings begins and 45 days until the vernal equinox, which signals the start of spring. So I started thinking about all the great annual events held here on Cape Cod that I, and so many others like me, look forward to each year.

I remember my dad quoting his grandmother, Gramma Rockwell, as some annual event approached in his small hometown in Massachusetts. “Goin’ to the time tonight?” she would ask. The “time” could be anything from a local church supper to the annual local fair, but knowing who was and who wasn’t going was big news apparently.

Our bed and breakfast guests often inquire if anything special is going on during their planned visit. Although Cape Cod offers a wealth of activities to enjoy at any time of the year, I think it makes our guests feel somewhat more connected if they can take in a special event or two during their stay. It’s part of the “authentic experience” movement that seems so prevalent these days.

I look forward to getting my copy of all the annual guides to Cape Cod, like the Cape Cod Life Annual Guide and the Cape Cod Travel Guide, each of which publish an upcoming calendar of events. So for those of you who want something to look forward to, as I do, here are some great local Cape Cod events to mark on your calendar.

March 18-20 11th Annual Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival
April 29-May 1 Brewster in Bloom
April 29-May 1 Nantucket Daffodil Festival Weekend
May 8-14 Cape and Islands Beer Week
May 18-22 15th Annual Nantucket Wine Festival
May 28-30 Figawai Race Weekend
June 11-12 10th Annual Cape Cod Maritime Festival
July 10 14th Annual Secret Garden Tour
July 16-23 167th Barnstable County Fair
August 7 26th Annual TD Bank Pops by the Sea
August 14 Falmouth Road Race
August 12-13 Seventh Annual Provincetown Jazz Festival
September 8-11 Martha’s Vineyard International Film Festival
September 10-11 Eighth Annual Bird Carvers’ Show and Sale
September 17-18 23rd Annual Glass Show and Sale
September 23-25 42nd Annual Bourne Scallop Fest
October 14-15 Fifth Annual Martha’s Vineyard Food and Wine Festival
October 15-16 10th Annual Wellfleet Oyster Fest

As always, we’d love to have you as our guest at the High Pointe Inn if you plan on attending any of these events. We are centrally located mid-Cape in West Barnstable, MA, an hour’s drive from Boston or Providence and in close proximity to the ferries for the islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.

Cape Cod Spring Flower Festivals

admin — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 21:41:20 +0000

Forsythia about to bloom

Spring returns to Cape Cod and the rest of New England this weekend, Saturday, March 20th to be exact. And none too soon as far as I’m concerned. We’ve just endured 3+ days of torrential rain and wind from a classic Nor’easter. But even as the temperatures climb into the 50s and the days grow longer now that we’ve turned the clocks ahead for Daylight Savings Time, the spring that I yearn for is weeks away.

When I was little, my Mom used to clip branches of forsythia to force into bloom starting in February. Those seemingly dormant branches sitting for days on end in a tall vase beneath our picture window in the living room were pathetic to look at, I thought, until they burst into brilliant yellow bloom on some sunny afternoon in March. March is the cruelest month, some say, and certainly the longest. Though the gray of winter is beginning to show some signs of greening up around the periphery, the sun has yet to warm the earth enough to put forth the dazzling display of blossoms that April brings.

Being born in April, I tend to think of it as the most hopeful month of the year, for it certainly brings with it its share of promises: tulips and daffodils and flowering trees…the easter bunny…the Boston Marathon…and opening day of baseball season. If you are a Red Sox fan, as I am, opening day signifies an opportunity for dreams to come true. Gone are last year’s slumps and injuries and tragic losses. What lies ahead are new records to break and MVPs to be found and, yes, the chance, the hope, for a pennant race and a series win.

Fenway Park, Home of the Red Sox

So I’ll patiently wait to turn each page of the calendar throughout the rest of March and into April, knowing that as each day’s sun sets, a new one will rise in the morning, and we’ll all be that much closer to our own dreams of spring.

In the meantime, here are a couple of great weekend festivals to welcome spring on Cape Cod. Book your stay at the High Pointe Inn in West Barnstable, MA well in advance to enjoy these fun-filled weekend fests!

Nantucket’s Annual Daffodil Festival Weekend, April 23-25, 2010

Nantucket’s traditional welcome to spring, the annual Daffodil Festival celebrates the return of over three million daffodils that blanket the island in springtime. Special events include the Antique Car Parade and Tailgate Picnic, Daffodil Flower Show, Children’s Daffodil Parade, Daffy Hat Contest, Window Decorating Contest and Daffy Dog Parade.

Nantucket Daffodil Parade

Brewster in Bloom Festival, April 30-May 2

An exciting local Cape Cod festival, Brewster in Bloom is a town-wide celebration featuring an antique fair, fine arts & crafts show, band concert, and more. The festival runs for three days and culminates in a Bloom Parade down Main St.