The famous flowering nasturtium vines have made their annual return to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.
The vines, which currently trail the walls of the iconic court yard, celebrate the arrival of spring at the Boston museum. And visitors have a very short window to see them — the flowers only last about three weeks.
The annual display continues a tradition started by Isabella Stewart Gardner herself during the week before Easter, marking the return of color to the Fenway, according to the museum.
The nasturtium vines are started from seed in June and planted in late summer. Throughout the winter, they’re trained in the museum’s greenhouses for their “spectacular debut” in March.
“The vines require continuous care in the greenhouse to ensure dramatic length — up to twenty feet — and require up to ten workers to install in the Museum,” the museum says. ”The result is a stunning display that cannot be found anywhere else.”
On April 2, the museum is hosting a sold-out nasturtium party, where guests can enjoy the flowering installations while sipping on nasturtium-inspired cocktails.
The museum’s gift shop also sells seed packets containing the same nasturtium variety.
Nasturtiums pictured at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum on March 29, 2025.Hadley Barndollar
