Philadelphia Flower Show, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The oldest and largest indoor flower show in the world, the Philadelphia Flower Show showcases the best in everything flower and landscape design. Hosted by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the event welcomes more than 260,000 to the Pennsylvania Convention Center where they can enjoy large-scale gardens and elaborate landscapes while also garnering some garden know-how from garden and floral experts. Live entertainment makes it an even livelier atmosphere during this annual show in early March.
Camellia Walks, Charleston, South Carolina
Spring comes early in the South, and in Charleston that means the end of stunning camellia blooms in February and March. On the historic Middleton Place property, a National Historic Landmark and home to America’s oldest landscaped gardens, guests can walk the sixty-five acres and take in the stunning blooms of more than 4,000 camellias on property, including many over 220 years old. An expert guide leads guests through a walking tour among the formal gardens and new camellia garden established in the 1950s.
The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Minneapolis, Minnesota
With more than 1,100 acres of breathtaking gardens, natural areas, and plant collections (plus hiking trails, paved paths, cross-country skiing, and snowshoe trails), it’s no wonder Minnesotans love this place. In the spring, though, it’s the Arboretum’s three-mile scenic drive featuring hundreds of pink-and white-blooming crabapple trees that make this destination a must-see while visiting the Twin Cities.
Texas Hill Country Wildflowers, Fredericksburg, Texas
There’s no better place in the US to see wildflowers in all their colorful and wild glory than Fredericksburg, Texas, home to the largest working wildflower farm in the country. Every spring, the roadsides in Fredericksburg are overflowing with bluebonnets, Indian Paintbrush, Mexican Hats, and much more creating an ocean of color everywhere you look. Spring is the best time to hop out of your car and walk amongst the wildflowers’ beauty, brushing your hands along them and taking in the stunning scenery as close as you possibly can get.
Butchart Gardens, Victoria, British Columbia
Highly acclaimed Butchart Gardens is the top tourist attraction in Victoria and a National Historic Site of Canada providing fifty-five acres and over 900 varieties of charming greenery and breathtaking blooms. Although there is something to enjoy year round, the dazzling spring show peaks from the end of March through the first week in May when you can catch daffodils and hyacinths transitioning into tulips, cherry blossoms, and dogwood trees.
National Cherry Blossom Festival, Washington DC
The stunning showcase of approximately 3,800 blossoming cherry trees in the US capital draws more than 1.5 million visitors to the area to take in the beauty of spring. What began simply as an olive branch between Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo to the city of Washington DC in 1912, has transformed into one of the world’s most breathtaking portraits of spring florals.
Mount Rainier, Washington
Throw on your hiking boots and pack some gear for a day hike to Mount Rainier. Amongst the gorgeous mountain scenery, mid-summer (essentially the area’s spring) you’ll find massive flower-carpeted meadows and valleys. These wildflower valleys serve as the perfect juxtaposition with the mountain’s snow-capped summit. Heralded as one of the Pacific Northwest’s most impressive floral landscapes including wildflowers like avalanche lilies, a hike to Mount Rainier should be earmarked for your summer travels.
Photography provided by Rachel Lincoln Photography/iStock/Getty Images, Article first printed in 2016
