As an arboretum, we prioritize and emphasize trees. The collection and cultivation of trees and shrubs are a core part of our mission statement, and these come before all else. But, for a brief moment in time (that time is now!), we can shift our gaze from towering spruces and oaks to something a bit more diminutive, albeit equally exciting. Of course, spring bulbs signal the oncoming of warmer weather, but I personally love them for their ephemeral nature. The brevity of their existence makes me appreciate them all the more because there is only one chance every year to get to know them.

By now our daffodil plantings on the Great Lawn and the Blue Wave beds alongside the Main Drive are well known, but one of our newest bulb plantings is tucked a bit further away in between the Old Pinetum and the Riverwalk, in an area called the Crabapple Walk. Known as the White Wave, this planting features a mixture of white flowers with a hint of blue. Composed primarily of Crocus chrysanthus ‘Ard Schenk’, Chionodoxa luciliae var. alba (Glory-of-the Snow) and Puschkinia scilloides var. libanotica alba (striped squill), the White Wave drifts along the slope in between recently planted crabapples and camellias. If you look for a large eastern sycamore tree (Platanus occidentalis, U-OP293) on our Tree Explorer, you will be able to find the White Wave just across the path, plus you will find a beautiful display of Scilla siberica right under that tree.

I’m not sure Puschkinia gets the attention it deserves. Perhaps the pale color and smaller flowers makes it easy for the eye to gloss over. Its closely related cousins (such as Scilla ‘Blue Giant’) get much more attention with larger blooms and obvious color, but Puschkinia flowers are equally intriguing with a closer look. The pale white to light blue petals of each flower are marked with a darker blue stripe down the middle. I find Puschkinia’s icy blue and white coloring especially enchanting because it is such a contrast to the bright and cheerful colors, such as yellow daffodils or purple crocuses, we may normally associate with spring. The overall star flower shape is very similar to Scilla/Chionodoxa (recently combined into one genus, Scilla) and can be difficult to distinguish without looking very closely at key morphological differences. It also has the added benefit of being fragrant!

We encourage you all to take a moment to appreciate these small visitors to the landscape this spring, but please be mindful of the garden beds. These are delicate plants and newly established plantings, so foot traffic within the beds will be detrimental to the future of these flowers. We hope for these flowers to multiply and continue growing for years to come.

-Jessica O'Callahan, Horticulture Coordinator

Beautiful bulbs displaying flowers throughout the arboretum is a great indication of not only Spring, but planting season! We always joke how the trucks filled with trees pulling into our main gate is like Christmas morning. I admit that some of my favorite days at the arboretum are when new trees are delivered. Lucky for us, we have trucks filled with trees, shrubs, and perennials arriving throughout the next few months.

The first tree planted this year was a Yoshino Cherry (Prunus × yedoensis, 2022-0001). It was the perfect tree to kick off the planting season. The tree was sourced from Verderber's Nursery in Riverhead. It was chosen specifically to fill a bare space right at our entrance gate. The tree needed to represent the beauty of what is beyond the arboretum’s gate while covering specific needs such as size, shape, habit, and environmental requirements. Choosing a flowering cherry with a stunning spring show fit the bill.

Due to the importance of this tree’s location, size was taken into consideration. We needed something that would fit instantly in the landscape and size up to the gorgeous, towering spruces lining the windbreak. Jessica O’Callahan and Kevin Wiecks carefully chose a specimen to fit the area perfectly. Verderber’s Nursery delivered a Yoshino Cherry with a 56” root ball and spectacular branching habit. The single tree filled almost the whole truck!  

After carefully planting the Yoshino Cherry, it looked like it has been there forever. It is like placing the perfect piece of art above your mantle. Everything just worked. I always appreciate the effort and purposefulness in choosing a specimen to add to the arboretum. This tree not only tells a story and lures people in, but quietly slips into the landscape for our whole collection to shine. 

In the upcoming months, I am excited for new arrivals whether that be new trees, shrubs, or even staff! I encourage our visitors to explore the arboretum and see our collection grow over these Spring months. 

-Joy Arden, Landscape Curator

With the promise of milder days of spring, the farm has started to come to life. Months of winter planning for crop selection, greenhouse and field schedules, and ordering of supplies are being translated from paper to the field. The hoop houses are overflowing with thousands of transplants seeded since late February – onions, shallots, leeks, beets, chard, bok choi, cabbage, kale, lettuces, fennel, and more. These will go into the ground this month, and our first harvest will be in June, when our CSA members will begin to enjoy spring and summer’s bounty. This week we did our first field planting, two rows of snap peas. The longer days, warmer temperatures, and wetter weather of April will transform the fields from the leaf cover of winter to verdant green. It is inspiring to see the small seed that was planted in the greenhouse develop to full fruition on the farm. We encourage you to stop by to share the wonder!

If you would like to join our CSA to receive a weekly (full share) or bi-weekly (half share) selection of farm fresh vegetables, sign up through the links below. Pick-ups will be on Wednesdays or Fridays from early June through late October. For more information, see the CSA pages in the farm section of our website.

For Full Share (Weekly pickup): http://weblink.donorperfect.com/CSAFarmFullShare2022  

For Half Share (Biweekly pickup): http://weblink.donorperfect.com/CSAFarmHalfShare2022  

Educational programming that encourages creativity and fun!

The best way to see all that BCA has to offer is to take a “Grounds Tour” that is guided by a friendly and knowledgeable docent. We are offering free tours every Wednesday and Saturday at 10:30 am. We offer private grounds tours at $10 per person with a minimum of 10 on the tour. We hope to see you and your friends soon!

House tours will be starting again on Saturday, March 5th. They are held at 1:00 pm on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Attic tours will also start March 5th at 2:30 pm and continue on Fridays and Saturdays. Call (631) 581-1002 to register for a tour!

We have introduced an abundance of education programs and classes starting this spring. There are preschool classes, elementary classes, story hour, and more coming!

Cost per person: $40

For more info and to sign up: website

Join certified forest therapy guide, Linda Lombardo of Wild Heart Nature Connection, on a walk to reconnect with the natural world around us.

Ron Becker Solo Show

Thursday, April 7, 2022, through Sunday, April 24, 2022. The opening reception will be on Saturday, April 9, 2022.

The gallery is open from Thursday through Sunday 11 am to 3 pm.

Workshops: watercolor, acrylic, fiber

For more info and to sign up: website

The Bayard Cutting Arboretum offers an array of art workshops in the mediums of painting, sculpture, metal-sculpting, mosaics, and more! Learn from our group of local, working professionals and jump-start your journey into art today.

The gift shop will be open on Thursday - Sunday from 11am-4pm. Stop by at the Manor House to visit the gift shop!