When the trolley bridge was discontinued in 1928, it became an eyesore. Women of the town looked at it and thought it could grow flowers just as well as weeds. The Shelburne Falls Women’s Club took over management and maintenance of the plantings, and a subcommittee oversees it to this day. Eighty loads of loam and several loads of fertilizer were spread over the Bridge, and the first flowers were planted in 1929.

Today, the Bridge of Flowers is a perfect example of a mixed border, with flowering trees, shrubs, perennials, vines, bulbs and annuals that keep the Bridge in glorious bloom from April 1 to October 30. They are cared for by the volunteer Blossom Brigade. Every year, tens of thousands of visitors from as far away as China come to admire the Bridge and take away happy memories of a small rural town with a great beauty at its heart.

Bridge of Flowers