From community gardens in town and the easily accessible trails winding through our protected open space, extending out into the surrounding dunes of the Cape Cod National Seashore and to the sanctuary wetlands in Wellfleet, the natural landscapes around Provincetown come alive in a tapestry of vibrant color. Visit us at our bed and breakfast in Provincetown and enjoy these blossoming habitats and gardens. Gardens Cape Cod shows off its loveliest hues and brightest blooms at this time of the year.

gabriel's garden with fireplace

Flourishing Community Gardens, Discovering Wildflowers Among Acres of Open Space, and the Flowering Legacy of Suzanne’s Secret Garden

Start your garden adventure in the center of Provincetown at the B-Street Gardens, on Brown St just off Shank Painter Rd, where the community-driven garden includes over 70 plots spread across two acres. Celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2024, B-Street reflects the tight-knit nature of Provincetown residents, everyone collaborating to operate and run the garden. Visitors and non-gardeners are welcome to stroll down the walkways between plots, where you’ll find a mix of veggies and flowers, some interspersed within the same plot. Gardeners are free to arrange their assigned plots as they wish, so each one expresses that particular gardener’s creativity – it’s a beautiful and inspiring place to wander around and admire their dedication and artistry. B-Street shares a boundary with the Shank Painter Pond Wildlife Sanctuary, with birds flocking back and forth between the sanctuary and gardens – so birders will have plenty of species to spot, too. With birds in their element, bees buzzing, and rows of bountiful gardens, Cape Cod shines in this little oasis.

After checking out the plots at B-Street and chatting with community gardeners (they’re a friendly bunch), continue your stroll into the wildlife sanctuary. The wetland habitat here – a quaking bog – provides the ideal water and soil for orchids, pogonias, and ferns to multiply. The rose pogonia’s delicate white and pink flowers blooming in June to July inspired a famous poem by Robert Frost, speaking to its exceptional beauty. Other excellent places near downtown where you can see blooming flowers are within the other city-managed open space areas, like Nicky’s Pond and the Old Colony Nature Pathway, which protect and conserve 30 more acres of forest and wetland habitat. Among many distinctive flowers that grow here, keep an eye out for the striking white petals of the swamp azalea that start to bloom in May and thrives in the marshy zones commonly found on the outer Cape.

Another somewhat hidden gem, Suzanne’s Secret Garden, is just down the road at 608 Commercial St. It’s a living tribute to longtime Provincetown resident and devoted gardener Suzanne Sinaiko. During her life, Sinaiko made the plot into a gorgeous and manicured landscape, and it’s now open to the public after her family generously donated the land to the city, her legacy flowering anew each spring season as the blue and purple wisteria vines burst into color.

Beech Forest Abloom and the Sweet Sight and Smell of Beach Roses on the Dunes

On a different afternoon, drive or rent bikes and head into the Cape Cod National Seashore, where unique flowers bloom in spring and summer. The one-mile loop at Beech Forest is a perfect starting point, with a mix of the stunning landscapes that have inspired artists for generations. It’s also famously one of the oldest and last remaining stands of old-growth woods on Cape Cod, its beech, maple, hickory, and birch trees dating back to when the Pilgrims first arrived in Provincetown over 400 years ago. The bright yellow flag irises are impossible to miss, particularly during late May into early June, when they add a brilliant blanket of color along the edges of the two ponds along the hiking loop. You’ll likely find yourself comparing the pastoral beauty to that of Monet’s 1924 Yellow Irises painting, an Impressionist masterpiece inspired by a similar scene. As you pass along the trail, also look out for purple and pink lady’s slippers, which come to full fruition by July – they are an endangered orchid, making them somewhat elusive in the wild, but all the more rewarding when you spot one.

A visit to Provincetown isn’t complete without exploring the nearby beaches, so continue on Race Point Rd to the dunes surrounding Race Point. Amidst the iconic beachgrass that covers the dunes, look for the pink and white petals of the rosa rugosa, also known colloquially as the “beach rose.” Often growing up to six feet tall and with an incredible fragrance, you may even smell its scent floating on the sea breeze – it’s one of only a few flowering plants that does exceptionally well in the sandy soil and challenging windblown environment along the Cape shoreline.

 

Dahlia and bee

Marshland Flowers, Butterflies Abound, and Gardens Cape Cod Conservation in Action in Wellfleet

During your stay in Provincetown, take a scenic 20-minute drive south on the Cape to the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary for more flowery sightseeing. Their network of trails winds through grasslands, woodlands, and marshes, all fantastic places to see blooms during the springtime, such as the radiant red petals of the cardinal flower. After enjoying the scenery along the Silver Spring or Goose Pond Trails, rest on a bench by their wildlife garden, planted with specific flowers to attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Bring your best camera to capture close-up shots of the butterflies, which include several types of swallowtails, painted ladies, and classic orange-winged monarchs. Monarchs were labeled an endangered species recently, but through efforts like this one at Wellfleet – where their natural habitat is conserved and protected – they are rebounding and enjoying the spring flowers alongside us.

Make your visit to the Wellfleet sanctuary even more memorable by attending one of their Friday morning “Bird Research In Action” events (held every Friday between April 19th and May 31st, 2024), where you’ll get a hands-on experience of how their avian team tracks the springtime migration of various bird species.

Stay with us and experience the beauty of gardens Cape Cod in Provincetown, when each flower’s bloom is more breathtaking than the last!

Book Now