01-04-2025
Where to see flowers in Rhode Island this spring: 6 photo-worthy places to visit
Spring is finally here, and along with its warmer weather, which means the daffodils are starting to open up in Newport.
But that's not the only place you can see spring flowers after a long, cold winter. Rhode Island has plenty of parks, gardens and public spaces with beautiful blooms that make for the perfect spring day - and the perfect photo-op. Whether your favorite is daffodils, tulips or cherry blossoms, there's a field of flowers for you.
Here are the best places to see flowers in Rhode Island this spring.
Located outside Blithewold Manor in Bristol is Blithewold Gardens, 33 acres of unique plants and flowers that bring the summer estate to life. The gardens are complete with countless flowers and greenhouses, a 10-acre Great Lawn and 2,000 varieties of trees and shrubs.
In April, visitors can see over 100,000 blooming daffodils, followed by tulips, violas, hyacinths and many more spring flowers in May. General admission tickets cost $22 for adults, $11 for children ages 11-16 or $6 for children ages 6-10.
When: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday until May 17, then 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday
Where: 101 Ferry Road, Bristol
Fans of cherry blossoms can head to the Japanese Garden at Roger Williams Park for two acres full of Japanese plants and flowers, including flowering plums, magnolias and lots of cherry blossoms.
All 435 acres of Roger Williams Park are free to the public.
When: 7 a.m.-9 p.m. daily
Where: 1000 Elmwood Ave., Providence. Entrances are on Elmwood Ave. and Broad St. in Providence, as well as Park Ave. in Cranston.
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Literally millions of daffodils have been planted in Newport in public spaces throughout the city. Whether walking along the Cliff Walk, shopping at daffodil-covered storefronts or visiting one of Newport's many scenic parks, Daffodil Days spreads the beauty of spring all throughout the waterfront town.
A full list of Daffodil Days events and Newport daffodil fields can be found online.
Newport's Daffodil Days is free and open to the public.
When: April
Where: Newport
Located in Kingston, Kinney Azalea Gardens is the result of four generations of horticulturalists and nature enthusiasts, started by the University of Rhode Island's first ever botany professor, Lorenzo Kinney Sr.
Today, over 1,000 species of rhododendrons, azaleas and wildflowers fill the 16 acres of gardens with vivid spring color. Kinney Azalea Gardens is free to visit and will open for the 2025 season on April 1, though the height of the gardens' blooms will be in May.
When: 8 a.m.-8 p.m. daily
Where: 2391 Kingstown Road, Kingston
Green Animals Topiary Garden, the oldest topiary garden in the nation, is a whimsical garden filled with various fruit trees and herb gardens, thousands of flowers and over 80 animal-shaped shrubs, including everything from a dog to a lion to a unicorn.
Throughout the spring, this garden boasts 37,000 tulips of all colors and 19,000 daffodils across 58 varieties, earning it a title of one of only three official Daffodil Display Gardens by the American Daffodil Society.
The topiary garden open daily for the season on May 10, according to the website. Tickets, which start at $10 for children and $25 for adults, can be bought online or in-person.
When: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily from May 10 through Sept. 1
Where: 380 Corys Ln., Portsmouth
More: The first park in Rhode Island is almost 200 years old. How to visit this spring
This private garden may be small, but its one acre is jam-packed with thousands of colorful flowers across 20 different themed areas, including an azalea hedge, a rhododendron punchbowl and various gardens completely decked out in one color, like yellow or orange.
To visit Sakonnet Garden, guests can either walk in at $20 per person or pay $25 for a parking space with one driver, plus $20 for each additional passenger. Timed tickets are required to be reserved online in advance.
When: 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. on Thursday-Saturday from May through October
Where: 510 W. Main Road, Little Compton
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Spring flowers in RI: The best blooms to see around the state
