10 Captivating Botanical Gardens and Flowering Parks
Valerie Taylor
Around the world, no matter where you go, there are bountiful parks where flowers overflow, overhead and underfoot. For those who love the majesty of a field full of wildflowers, there is no shortage of gorgeous locations. Any one of these ten botanical gardens and flowering parks will have you dreaming up a fairy tale in no time.
1 Amsterdam's Tulip Fields
Photo: pinterest.com
There are a bunch of places in and around Amsterdam to tiptoe through the tulips. Right in the heart of Amsterdam, you can find Keukenhof Gardens, where 7 million bulbs bloom between March and May. There is also Hortus Botanicus, which originally started out as an herbarium but soon reached over 4000 plant species from all around the world. But if you really want all the tulip know-how, you should go to the Amsterdam Tulip Museum.
2 Anza Borrego Desert State Park
This park in California (comprised partially of the Colorado Desert) has its own wildflower watch. You can even pick up a flower map at the ABDNHA's Nature Center to find out where every single species blooms throughout the entire park. The park has a "rolling bloom," which means that in different regions, elevations, and times throughout the year plants and flowers are blooming. The environment is a never-ending kaleidoscope of color, enthralling visitors no matter when they arrive.
3 Chile's Volcano Osorno
Similar to how the base of Mount Fuji attracts visitors at the beginning of Spring for the flowers, Chile's Osorno has its own flower garden. Located in the Vicente Perez Rosales National Park, the region surrounding the volcano is that of a rainforest. Along the rivers and in the plains, flowers from all around the world can be found blossoming, as well as tropical and exotic flora you will not find anywhere else, like the Chilean Firebush or Chilean hazel.
4 Singapore Botanical Gardens
This garden is over 150 years old and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Within the gardens, you will find the National Orchid Garden, the Ginger Garden, and the Tan Hoon Siang Misthouse, which is full of mind-blowingly beautiful hybrids. There is also a small rainforest section that is around 6 hectares in size that was encompassed into the gardens but is far older than every other section. If you love what you see in the Botanical Gardens, do not miss out on Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.
5 Hitsujiyama Park, Chichibu, Japan
This park is a gorgeous display of pink in the spring. With Fuji looming in the backdrop on a clear day, you can walk through carpets of pink, white, and magenta that goes on for miles. This section of the park is called Shibazakura. If you do not make it for the display, Hitsujiyama Park has wonderfully floral locations throughout the year, as well as some of the best autumnal foliage with Tokyo/Saitama limits.
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6 Provence Lavender Fields, France
These fragrant fields bloom from July to August in the area called Luberon, around Mon-Ventoux. During this time, Provence becomes a whirlwind of tourism, lavender-based specialities, and wonderful outdoor life. Here, you can only walk the rows of lavender, but you can pick up lavender-scented cosmetics, lavender honey, sorbet, and other Provencal cuisine. There are also multiple festivals to enjoy.
7 Monet's Garden at Giverny
The garden is open from late March to the first of November. Though you may think the garden is a single entity, there are actually two sections: Clos Normand and a Japanese-inspired water garden. The Clos Normand is a piece of living artwork full of colors, lines, and ornamentation. You will see fruit trees, climbing roses, daisies, poppies, and roses. As for the water garden, there is a Japanese bridge covered in wisteria. To see amazing reflections on the tranquil pond, come in autumn.
8 Namaqualand, South Africa
Just north of Cape Town is Namaqualand, a state park created with the one purpose for protecting local plant life. Throughout the year, Namaqualand is a hotspot for people looking to see one of the most diverse collections of succulents in the world. However, it is during the spring when the wildflowers bloom that this park becomes a sight. Over 1000 types of wildflowers blossom simultaneously, blanketing the arid landscape in beauty.
9 Sunflower Fields, Tuscany, Italy
Because the sunflower fields in Tuscany are as popular as the region itself, heading out there is not as simple as hopping on a plane. Still, if you are in Italy for a few days during the summer, a quick jaunt to Tuscany to see the fields of sunflowers is a must. Sunflowers bloom anywhere from mid-June to early August throughout Tuscany, Umbria, and Le Marche. Since some fields bloom more regularly than others, you may wind up driving around quite a bit. When you do find a full field, you will be amazed.
10 Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve, California
In the voice of the Wicked Witch, "Poppies." Poppies are everywhere at Antelope Valley, and it is the most gorgeous orange you will ever feast your eyes upon. Around mid-March, these beauties begin to open their blossoms for the rest of the world to see.
Depending on the rain, there may or may not be a solid carpet of orange, but regardless, no one can turn down skipping through a field of daisies, humming about the yellow brick road.
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How many of these places were added to your traveling bucket list? No one can deny the beauty of freely blooming flowers beneath a sunny, blue sky. Venture the world to find these places, and you will find that adventure blossoms in every flower.
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