NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The birds are chirping, the flowers are blooming, and all signs are pointing to spring — unless Nashvillians are looking at this weekend's forecast.
For a decade in Nashville, Cheekwood in Bloom has been the event that celebrates the season of new beginnings with beautiful flower displays.
"Spring is all about new beginnings, and you see it at Cheekwood when you see the tulips emerging and you see the trees starting to come out," said Jane MacLeod, president and CEO of Cheekwood.
For the first time ever, MacLeod said the opening day is looking a little more unpredictable.
𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗘: Due to inclement weather, TOTS! has been cancelled and Chris Monaghan's performance has been postponed on Saturday, March 12. We hope you'll join us this Sunday as the fabulous Andy Reiss Quartet will be playing in the Beer Garden from 11 AM – 2 PM.
— Cheekwood (@Cheekwood) March 11, 2022
"Well, we are opening under unusual circumstances on the 10th anniversary of Cheekwood in Bloom. Sounds like with a little snow," she said.
Until it falls, it's up in the air what snow will mean for opening day.
"We will be posting on social media as well as on our website. Again, whether we have to delay, close whatever the weather actually brings in, but not to worry our tulips are still just emerging. They're tightly budded so they're OK, but we don't anticipate any damage to the tulips and definitely not to the daffodils, which are already up," she said.
What is certain now is that the 10th anniversary of Cheekwood in Bloom will be bigger and brighter than ever.
"Soon, there will be an incredible display of 250,000 bulbs this spring. We generally have 100,000 tulips and around about 50,000 other bulbs. And this year to celebrate the 10th anniversary, we planted another 100,000 daffodils," MacLeod said.
While precautions have been taken, this March-dusting will kill some plants.
"We're protecting some of our smaller spring-blooming trees with coverings, the larger trees that we can't cover — some of our magnolias — we will likely lose," she said.
MacLeod said regardless of what happens, she's looking forward to sunnier days ahead.
"I think we've all developed a lot of resilience in the last two years and pretty soon it is time to celebrate," she said.
