Colorblends® House & Spring Garden, Bridgeport, CT, USA

Spring is a magical time when gardens awaken from their winter nap and the earth is graced with an abundance of breathtakingly beautiful flowers. For many years, we had wanted to visit the annual Colorblends® House & Spring Garden in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and somehow always missed the date, either due to travel, rain, or other commitments. On Saturday, May 11, 2024, we finally made the trip to Bridgeport, and the wait was well worth it. The gardens were bursting with color, and the architecturally interesting 1903 Colonial Revival house was resplendent with a fabulous, curated art show with works by several local artists.

Colorblends Curated Art Show

Located in Bridgeport’s Stratfield Historic District, the Colorblends® House & Spring Garden open house, held annually from April to mid-May, attracts gardeners, art collectors, and historic architecture fans as the house is only open once per year during the special show. Rainy weekends kept us from visiting the gardens and show earlier (it ran from April 1 – May 12, 2024), however we were thrilled to finally be able to visit on Saturday, May 11, 2023.

Debra C. Argen

While the previous rain had diminished many of the flowers in the attractive garden designed by Jacqueline van der Kloet, the remaining flowers were bursting with color against the lush greenery. Pink as well as white Bleeding Hearts, Tulips, attractive Star-of-Bethlehem flowers with their distinctive white petals and green dots, Bluebells, Indian hyacinth (Crown Flower), Viburnum, Creeping buttercup, Dill, Allium (Ornamental Onion), Violets, Lily of the Valley, blue and pink Forget-Me-Nots, along with many other varieties of flowers, all dazzled our eyes, each competing for our attention.

Bleeding Heart

Being able to tour the 1903 Albert S. Wells house was also a real treat. Built in the Colonial Revival style for Albert S. Wells and his family, the attractive house features a two-story Tuscan portico, a mosaic floor in the foyer, there are several gorgeous stained-glass windows, and richly detailed wood architectural details make the house interesting and give it character.

Indian Hyacinth

The house has an interesting story to tell beginning with the Wells family who resided in the house from 1903 until 1942, when it was sold after Mr. Wells’ death, to a local doctor, Joseph Quatrano, who lived in the house with his wife and children from 1942 – 1967. The next occupant of the house was Gerhard Coler and his wife Judith, who lived in the house and created a school there from 1967 – 1989. Upon his death, the house was sold to Zane Yost who resided there from 1989 – 2003. The house remained in real estate limbo until 2013 when Colorblends® took possession of the property. They restored the gardens to showcase their flowers and bulbs and began the restoration of the house to bring it back to its former glory.

Allium

What made the self-guided house tour even more interesting was the curated art show by artist Chris Dam, showcasing the impressive works by Chris and several other local artists that filled the walls and floor space with an inviting collection of prominent pieces.

Dill

A Sampling of the Artists Represented in the Show

Chris Dam
Dan Makara
Herm Freeman
Kathleen Vance
Linda Colletta
Looketha
Michael J. Clocks

Viburnum

During our visit, we had the good fortune of meeting and speaking with two of the artists Michael J. Clocks and Looketha, to experience and discuss their work, and watch the beginnings of a new work by Looketha who creates her pieces improvisationally letting the work guide her in its creation.

Looketha

Looketha is a Bridgeport artist who has been selling her work for 20 years. Using a rich color and vibrant color palette for her paintings, her characters have a touch of whimsy, a playfulness, with an edge of something deeper. What is especially notable about her works are the stylized eyes of the characters that draw you into their world and invite further exploration.

Edward F. Nesta & Michael J Clocks

Michael J. Clocks’ medium is clocks and timepieces. He reclaims, repurposes, and re-envisions them to use in his bold and dramatic sculptural works that are statement pieces. Whether dismantling a non-working grandfather clock, getting it to work again, and turning it into art with its decorative gold innerworkings, or creating resin or mixed media pieces combining schematic technical drawings with the inner workings of timepieces, he successfully and beautifully blends the past with the present and the future.

Star of Bethlehem

The Colorblends® House & Spring Garden show featured breathtaking flowers in the gardens, a stunning house with an interesting history, and impressive art by local artists, which made it a perfect afternoon. We are already marking our calendar for the 2025 show so we can experience it earlier in the season, and then revisit it as the different variety of flowers come into bloom.

White Bleeding Heart

Until next time, keep enjoying travel with Luxury Experience!

Creeping Buttercup

The Colorblends® House & Spring Garden Show takes place annually from April to mid-May so be sure to mark your calendar and check their website for the next show: www.colorblendsspringgarden.com

For more information on Colorblends Wholesale Flowerbulbs, as well as learn planting tips and techniques, please visit the website: www.colorblends.com 

Common Bluebell

Artists Information: 

Make a Wish

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