STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — From Feb. 20 through about March 20, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Berkshire Botanical Garden will host the Bulb Show. 

 

In the Fitzpatrick Conservatory, attendees will find hundreds of bulbs fill the space, from tulips, daffodils and grape hyacinths to more unusual varieties.

 

The Bulb Show is free and open to everyone.

 

The Bulb Show begins in late summer, when horticulture staff selects and orders the season's bulbs. Planting begins in the fall in the Lexan Greenhouse — tulips first, then daffodils and finally the smaller bulbs that round out the collection.

 

From there, the bulbs spend weeks in cool rooms beneath the Center House, where temperatures remain close to 42°F to simulate winter. Tulips need about 15 weeks of chilling, daffodils 12, and grape hyacinths 10. Staggered planting ensures a steady succession of blooms throughout the month-long show.

 

As their chilling period ends, the bulbs move back to the Lexan Greenhouse to "wake up." Over several weeks, they send up shoots, leaf out and eventually burst into color. Before they're displayed in the Fitzpatrick Conservatory, each pot is topped with moss, pine needles or nut shells, and the display team adds finishing touches, including succulents, branches, even small stumps, to create depth and contrast.

 

The 2026 Bulb Show is sponsored by Webster Landscape.