Reeves-Reed Arboretum Daffodil Day Festival
A DELIGHTFUL DELL OF DAFFODILS WELCOMES THE ARRIVAL OF SPRING AT REEVES-REED ARBORETUM’S DAFFODIL DAY FESTIVAL
“I wandered lonely as a cloud, That floats on high o’er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine, And twinkle on the milky way, They stretched in never-ending line,
Along the margin of a bay: Ten thousand saw I at a glance, Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.”
William Wordsworth’s poem, I Wander’d Lonely as a Cloud, inspired by a forest encounter in April 1802, depicts a lovely scene of daffodils and the pleasure and comfort one finds in nature. Reeves-Reed Arboretum in Summit invites the public to come visit and be in awe of nature every day, and to experience their spectacular collection of daffodils this and every spring.
A serpentine walk overlooks a roll of land ending in a glacial bowl that each year hosts up to 50,000 blooming daffodils during the month of April. The dancing wave of golden yellow flowers is a sight to behold and heralds in the spring season. The first owners of the country estate The Clearing (that is now Reeves-Reed Arboretum) were the Wisners who planted the original daffodil clusters on the property. In 1916, when the Reeves Family purchased the homestead, Susie Graham Reeves expanded the collection, planting four to five thousand bulbs every fall, making The Clearing locally famous for its daffodils. When the hillside bloomed each spring, Mrs. Reeves would place a sign at the driveway entrance on Hobart Avenue inviting neighbors and passersby to enter and view the “daffodil dell” and anything else blooming that she thought people might enjoy seeing.
Reeves-Reed Arboretum continues this tradition every year with its continual planting and dividing of daffodils every fall, culminating in the annual springtime explosion of the “daffodil bowl” that is simply breathtaking.
Mid-April, the Arboretum celebrates this awe-inspiring garden treasure with its annual Daffodil Day festival. This year’s spring fete will be held rain or shine on Sunday, April 16, 2023, from 11am to 3pm, and will include an array of spring themed family activities, including crafts and games, nature walks, visiting goats, entertainment, an art exhibit, market vendors, and photo opportunities among the thousands of daffodils. Tickets are $10 per person. Reeves-Reed Arboretum members and children under 3 are free.
To register for Daffodil Day, and for a complete listing of children’s environmental education programs, adult horticulture workshops and classes, and special events for all ages, including volunteer opportunities at the Arboretum, visit reeves-reedarboretum.org. Reeves-Reed Arboretum is a non-profit public garden located at 165 Hobart Avenue in Summit and is listed on both the National and State Registers of historic places. It’s grounds and gardens are open to the public 7 days a week, 365 days a year; 9am to 4pm November through March, and 7am to 7pm April through October.
Celebrating over 40 years as a historic public garden and education resource, Reeves-Reed Arboretum engages, educates, and enriches the public through horticulture and environmental education, and the care and utilization of the gardens and estate. Open 7 days a week, the Arboretum is listed on both the National and New Jersey State Historic Registers. Funding for RRA has been made possible in part by the NJ Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State, through a grant administered by the Union County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs, Department of Parks & Community Renewal.
Reeves-Reed Arboretum....a place to grow, for everyone!
