Following Boston’s Long Winter, Hanging Nasturtiums Make Highly Anticipated Return to Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

Select Nasturtium images here

BOSTON, MA (March 24, 2026) – After one of Boston’s coldest and snowiest winters in years, the highly anticipated Hanging Nasturtiums display makes its annual return to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (ISGM). Cultivated throughout the year to produce lush, 20+ foot vines of orange blooms, these brightly hued nasturtiums are installed by the Gardner’s gardeners to cascade from balconies overlooking the Museum’s historic Courtyard. This annual tradition was started by Isabella Stewart Gardner over a century ago in celebration of the arrival of spring, around the time of her birthday (April 14, 1840). Hanging Nasturtiums will be on view to the public from March 25–April 13, 2026.

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“Every spring, and especially this year, New England eagerly awaits the Gardner’s magnificent Hanging Nasturtiums as one of the first signs of a new season. It’s a time-honored tradition, reminding us that beauty is always possible,” said Peggy Fogelman, Norma Jean Calderwood Director of the Gardner Museum. “With the arrival of these gorgeous orange blossoms, we celebrate art and nature, as well as hope and renewal.”  

Nasturtiums were one of Isabella’s favorite flowers (read more) and since the early 1900s, the floral vines have hung above the Museum’s Courtyard for about three weeks at the start of spring. The meticulous process of cultivating these saturated orange blooms begins with seedlings started in June (nine months in advance) and tended to daily at the Museum’s off-site greenhouses. The Gardner’s Horticulture team grows the flowering vines in individual pots, eventually coaxing them along the walls and roof of the greenhouses. These nasturtiums are pruned for form and color throughout the winter to prepare them for their seasonal debut. 

“Nasturtiums come in many colors—but orange was the shade that Isabella preferred. She was not only an art collector, but a plant lover, and grower,” said Erika Rumbley, Stanley P. Kozak Director of Horticulture. “I feel fortunate to carry on this beloved custom—growing a luxurious celebration of spring for our visitors.” 

The installation of about 18 individual vines requires many hands. The Gardner’s Horticulture team, along with landscaping colleagues and volunteers, carefully transport the delicate potted plants one by one through the Museum’s Palace to the 3rd floor, where they are draped from balconies. To complement the nasturtiums, the ground floor of the Courtyard is filled with a vibrant palette of narcissus, tulips, and other spring bulbs. These include cineraria, jasmine, and more clivia miniata than we've seen in many years due to New England’s unusually cold winter. Visitors can learn more about Hanging Nasturtiums in an audio walk with Erika Rumbley (downloaded via QR code in the Courtyard) or virtual tour of the Museum’s greenhouses.

Hours and Ticketing – The Hanging Nasturtiums display will be on view from  March 25–April 13.  The Museum is open weekends from 10 AM to 5 PM, weekdays from 11 AM to 5 PM, and Thursdays until 9 PM. The Museum is closed Tuesdays. Admission is $22 for adults, $20 for seniors, and $15 for students. Children 17 and under receive free admission.  

Free First Thursday – On April 2, the Museum will host its Free First Thursday offering free admission from 3–9 PM. Programming begins at 5 PM and includes making paper nasturtiums in the Bertucci Education Studio, ambient music by Skooby Laposky using bio-data from the nasturtiums in the Courtyard, and a self-guided poetry experience in Hostetter Gallery. Museum horticulturists will be in the Courtyard Cloisters to chat with visitors about the nasturtiums.

Membership – To enjoy Hanging Nasturtiums and other seasonal Courtyard installations throughout the year, the Gardner is offering a special incentive to join its member community: $5–$25 off its most popular membership levels, through the end of May. Member benefits include unlimited visitation, members-only programs and events, and discounts on shopping and dining. (New members at the Sustainer and above levels will also receive a Gardner nasturtium photo tote bag.) Please use code SPRING2026 to sign up. 

Nasturtiums in the Collection – In addition to live nasturtiums in the Courtyard, this floral species is represented across the Museum’s collection. Isabella’s friend and artist, Arthur Pope, captured the display in Nasturtiums at Fenway Court (Macknight Room). Other pieces include a watercolor (Blue Room) and candy box (Macknight Room) that Isabella kept in her desk. 

Gift at the Gardner and Café G – The Museum’s shop and restaurant share in the springtime spirit. Visitors can purchase nasturtium-inspired jewelry and note cards, tote bags and teas, and seeds (of course!) at Gift at the Gardner. Since flower peeping works up an appetite, visitors can relax at the Gardner’s glass-enclosed Café G.  Special menu items include a chicken salad sandwich with nasturtium green goddess and a sunset-hued nasturtium sparkler—cava (or sparkling water) with blood orange and black peppercorn syrup.