Plantings for Spring in Christopher Columbus Park

Close your eyes and imagine a warm April breeze and bright yellow daffodils dancing in the sun.  As the days shorten and the cold sets in, planning for brighter days gets us through the dark winter. Recently members of the Friends of Christopher Columbus Park’s Horticultural Committee including Horticulture Co-Chairs Robyn Reed and Terese O’Connell along with Meredith Piscitelli, Pauline Cuoco, and Patricia Sabbey, anticipated spring by planting 200 daffodil bulbs in the Circle Garden near Marriott Long Wharf.  

Boston Blooms with Daffodils (#Bostonblooms) a program sponsored by the Boston Parks Department supplied the bulbs as part of a beautification initiative. Fifteen thousand large, robust, Dutch daffodil bulbs were distributed to individuals and groups throughout the city for planting in public areas. The Friends of Christopher Columbus Park participates in this program as well as in Boston Strong Marathon Daffodils.

Terese is very enthusiastic about this opportunity. She said, “Daffodils are my favorite bulb to plant in the city because they reliably bloom every year and are never bothered by any critters. Their blooms are the first real colorful sign of spring and signal that it is Boston Marathon time. I hope that by the April 2022 Boston Marathon there will be thousands more planted and blooming in the city to welcome the world once again. Thank you to the City of Boston’s Parks and Recreation Department for supplying and coordinating distribution of all the bulbs to the many volunteer organizations throughout the city.”

For now, dream of spring! Come April plan on taking a walk in the Park and reveling in the dancing daffodils.

 The horticulture group is wrapping up for the season, but anyone interested in sharing the joys of urban gardening with an enthusiastic group of people can become an FOCCP member and join in the fun. No experience needed. Direction is given and tools provided. Just keep an eye on the FOCCP spring   newsletters for starting dates. foccp.org/membership

Photo credits to: Meredith Piscitelli and Patricia Sabbey