In this not-quite-winter, not-quite-spring interval, Bristol is the perfect destination for a day-trip. Its harbor being half-way down Narragansett Bay, the town has waterfront without actually being on the ocean, where late March is one of the rawest times of the year.First stop: Blithewold, just to see what's poking up at the mansion's 33-acre waterfront grounds. Of course, it's too soon to see the famous daffodils in bloom. But the green clumps of their spiky leaves are there, promising a bright yellow carpet in two or three weeks. (Daffodil Days this year are Apr. 12 to May 4.)
The Moon Garden on the mansion's south side is where the most blooming flowers are right now: miniature daffodils nodding above brown leaves, purple crocus, pale yellow Helleborus and white snowdrops.
Marjorie Lyon, the grande dame who left her family's Tudor mansion and beloved gardens (her 'Happy Woodland," Blithewold) to the public, would be pleased to see how good it looks — the 1901 greenhouse restored, the cutting garden ready for a new season, and the Water Garden serene with its arched stone bridge and still-leafless Japanese maple looking sculptural on its own islet in the middle of the gurgling pond.
The mansion will not open until mid-April, but people can stroll the grounds year-round. There's an honor box for donations to help support Blithewold for future generations to enjoy.
