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Countdown to Spring

“There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature—the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.”

– Rachel Carson, marine biologist, author and conservationist

While there’s plenty of beauty to appreciate in the Park in winter, we can’t deny that during the colder months, we look ahead to the brighter, warmer days, when our open space grows green again, bursting with joyful spring color.

This past winter, the promise of spring’s renewal felt especially life-giving. That’s why we counted down the days, here on our website, and on social media (follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter).

Below, we put together some of our favorite springtime highlights.

Gallery of 2020 Blooms

Hudson River Park experienced a record-early spring in 2020, and an especially beautiful one. As we look ahead, enjoy some of our favorite photos from the Park’s last blooming season:

A Window into HRPK’s Apple Garden

We watched the arrival of spring in the Park in one of Hudson River Park’s most beloved gardens. As the season begins, we’re beginning to see colorful hues make their appearance. Soon, this view will fill with more blooms and greenery. spring in the apple garden

Plankton Bloom Signals the Arrival of Spring in the Hudson River

Believe it or not, one of the biggest changes that takes place in HRPK each spring happens below the surface of the Hudson River. As conditions become just right, drifting plants, animals and other organisms, collectively called plankton, begin to reproduce and multiply — rapidly!

How Manhattan’s Original Inhabitants Marked the Changing Seasons

As we continue our spring countdown, we’re taking a closer look at the lives of the Lenape and their ways of celebrating the passage of the seasons.

Beginning a New Year Fresh and Bright

To start the year fresh, we’re looking ahead to new beginnings. As we continue our Countdown to Spring, we put together some of our favorite pieces of wisdom about looking ahead to warmer, colorful days.

Bloom Report: Witch Hazel Leads The Way

The first of our Park’s deciduous plants has emerged from its seasonal slumber, witch hazel blooms beautifully along our Tribeca parklands.

Bloom Report: Winter Jasmine, Spring on the Way

Bright winter jasmine, found in HRPK's Apple Garden, are among our first blooms of the season—a herald of colorful days to come.

Bloom Report: Red Maples Lead Our Flowering Trees

Red maples are one of the first trees to blossom in the Park, and spring is beginning to offer up its first flowers in our gardens too!

Bloom Report: Cornelian Cherry Dogwood and Star Magnolia Spring to Life

Spring is finally gracing us with warm, wonderful weather and new blooms, and we can’t wait to see you along our riverfront to kick off the season.

Bloom Report: Rise of the Tulips

When they spring up all throughout Hudson River Park, our tulips offer the colorful promise that the blooming season is here to stay.

An Earth Day Thank You to Our Volunteers

For our team, the Park’s tulips don’t just symbolize spring renewal; they serve as a living symbol of our dedicated Park community. Read an Earth Day tribute to the hard work of HRPK's Volunteers!

Bloom Report: Showstopping Crabapples

As our deciduous trees spread new leaves and our tulips reach their tallest, the bright, dense flowers of our crabapple trees expand a vibrant palette.

Bloom Report: Alliums Ascendent

These cheerful flowers are members of the same family as onions, garlic and shallots, though ornamental alliums like ours are a much better match for a flowerbed than a salad bowl.

Bloom Report: Coneflower Season

With bright, daisy-like petals and spiny, dome-shaped heads, your Park’s Echinacea—commonly called coneflowers—are some of HRPK's most iconic summer-bloomers.

Bloom Report Double Feature: Hibiscus and Black-Eyed Susan

Hibiscus and black-eyed Susans are bold, blooming reminders that summer is still in full swing along our riverfront!

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Gardens

Four seasons of award-winning gardens and landscapes abound to keep the Park community coming back for more.

Trees of Hudson River Park

There are roughly 2,500 trees planted in Hudson River Park. Learn more about the many varieties here.