Spring in Baltimore: Sherwood Gardens for the tulips

 TLDR

Early spring, in the middle of a north Baltimore neighborhood, you will happen upon an amazing garden. Tulips everywhere. You will question if you are still in the city, but you are still in the city. But like cherry blossoms, there is a peak and then they are gone. Late March to early April is your window. 

My Story

The second week of March in Baltimore was in the 60's and 70's. One day it was in the 80's. There is a popular meme about the 12 seasons of Maryland. This warm weather is the Spring of Deception. The cherry blossoms and daffodils think it is time bloom. The flowers have been deceived. The third week of March brought Third Winter. Actual Spring will only last for a few weeks and then jump to summer, but spring is still my favorite season. Watching nature come back to life, even if it is being deceived, breaks me out of my seasonal depression and brings my hope back. One of my signs of spring is Sherwood Gardens.

I first heard of Sherwood Gardens when I would see people post pictures, frolicking in some garden full of tulips like they went to Holland over the weekend. But they didn't go to Holland, they were in Baltimore. Every year I would see these posts and say I was going to check it out and every year, I wouldn't go. Tulips are one of the first flowers to come up in the spring. Once the weather gets warm, blooms will only last a few days. You don't have forever to check out these flowers. And every year I miss it. 

In April of 2019, I was sitting at my desk at work. It was a beautiful day outside. I was working for Live Baltimore, an organization that promoted Baltimore City and its diverse neighborhoods. Our Communication Manager mentioned she could use some pictures for social media and I was out the door, in my car and up the JFX heading to the historic neighborhood of Guilford. The neighborhood of Guilford is full of large homes. I could honestly just go to that neighborhood and look at homes.  

I was really taking a picture of the flowers, not the house.
This is a small Guilford home.

But in the spring, you pass stately manors and then discover flowers.

History

This 6 acre private park was designed by the Olmsteds in 1913 and originally called Stratford Green. Guilford was also Olmsted designed and John Sherwood lived in one of the homes on the park. He loved tulips and had them imported in the 1920's and planted them around his house. Other flowers were planted, like azaleas which he also loved.  Rumor has it that he came home one day and saw uninvited people strolling the gardens and shortly after that, the private park, was open to the public for thousands to explore. Now there are over 50,000 tulips along with some other plants.

Azaleas

The park is open until dusk. If you leave work and the weather is nice, just go to the park. You can also plan a trip and bring a blanket and some food. If anyone reading this is dating, this is a really cheap and impressive date. I know I would never forget it. Ok, now I'm just giving hints for how to date me.

I know I have made it seem urgent to go see these flowers in the early spring, but there are other flowers that pop up during the summer. There is also programming in the park like summer concerts. There is a Bloom Party in early April, but flower lovers go crazy over the annual Tulip Dig in May. Who wouldn't want to plant some of these tulips at their home. Be there at 7am for the opportunity to get the best tulips. This is another event I say I will go to. Maybe this year is the year.

This tulip is worth a 7am rise time.