Travel February 27, 2018

Spring Travels: Following The Flowers

Flowers have a transformative effect to scenery and even my mood. As we transition from winter to spring we are reminded of the beautiful potential of our environment. Very few things put a smile on my face more than discovering flowers blooming, which is why ‘following the flowers’ is one of my favorite reasons to travel. I’ve put together a list of my top places in the world to find blooming flowers during spring. After you’ve read my list, I’d love to hear what special bloom locations are on your list.

 

 

Charleston- Spring comes a bit earlier to Charleston than most places. Just the past few weeks we’ve already seen new flowers in bloom including Camelias and Japanese Magnolias. Azaleas are just starting to peek through and should be in full bloom soon, followed by Confederate Jasmine which has the loveliest scent.

 

Oregon- A couple years ago, Thomas made a trip with a friend to Oregon. He kept sending me photos of the incredible tulips and I was definitely jealous of all the gorgeous scenery. His favorite spots were the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival and Hood River for beautiful blooming Apple and Pear orchards.

 


Washington DC- Last year we thought we had a perfectly timed trip to visit Washington DC for the Cherry Blossom bloom. An unexpected cold front rolled through much of the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic just about the time the blossoms had just started to open. This severely impacted the bloom which left little to see. While we don’t have plans to return this year, we are crossing our fingers for all of you making the trip. This website is great for tracking peak bloom.


Wisteria in London- Wisteria is an impressive plant. It’s an aggressive climbing vine that seems to have a mind of its own in a uniquely wonderful way. Some of the most impressive Wisteria can actually rip apart rod iron fences! When well trained, it’s a spectacular decoration to the front or side of a house, especially when it’s purple blooms come to life. One of my favorite places to see Wisteria are along some of the incredible homes in London. You can follow my friend, @rosielondoner, as she’s famous for her London Wisteria obsession in the spring.

 


Bluebells in English Countryside- Because Bluebells are wildflowers that grow in wooded areas in the shade of trees, I often get the feeling that I’m about to spot fairies. When touring the English Countryside a few years ago, we stumbled on some incredible bluebell forests. I can’t wait to return again this spring!


Daffodil Hill in California- When my mom lived in the foothills near Sacramento we were not too far from a fun farm that takes their Daffodils very seriously. They have an estimated 300,000 bulbs planted! When they all come to bloom in the springtime, this well manicured property comes to life with rolling hills of white and yellow Daffodils. If you decide to check it out, make sure to arrive earlier in the day to avoid crowds during their peak time.

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  4. Pingback: Spring Travels: Following The Flowers – Womens Fashion

  8. One of our neighbors in Wisconsin used to have a field full of colorful irises every June/July. It was one of the things I would look forward to most each summer.

  11. What a perfect idea for a post! We moved abroad last summer, so I’m excited to ‘follow the flowers’ this spring and summer, particularly the cherry blossoms in South Korea and the wisteria and hydrangeas in Japan. xx

    Jen | affecionada

  20. Beautiful post! Flowers definitely transform my mood as well!.
    I went to DC for the Cherry Blossom Festival a couple of years ago and it was gorgeous.
    Charleston sounds dreamy right about now.

  23. Hi! My heart almost exploded when I visited Generalife Gardens in La Alhambra in Granada, Spain. I went in late May early June just in time the roses were exploding. I’ve never seen anything like that. Arabic gardens are just incredible!! there are other walled gardens in Granada, called “Cármenes”(some of them have peacocks, which are the most beautiful creatures, in my opinion) but El Generalife is just majestic.. You’ll never want to leave. Make sure you buy tickets with time in advance. El Generalife is the place to be (if you’re a rose lover, like me, and I k now you are)

  24. BTW, this post is just beautiful. I feel it was written just for me. Thank you so much <3 I just put all of these places in my agenda, esp. Charleston.
    I wonder if you have any recommendations on gardens you like. I also want to visit the English countryside but I’d like to have a list of gardens to go to; do you have a favorite garden, or little town in the English Countryside? (Ive never been, so I don’t know how it works when you want to see English gardens).
    Much love, L.

  25. What a gorgeous and inspiring post! I love it. Thanks for putting a smile on my face. And good luck to all travelers to DC… hope this year is better than last year.

  28. One reason why I love the spring! The dogwoods have been blooming like crazy up here in Myrtle Beach.

  34. Following the cherry blossoms in Japan is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of experience. The blossoms in Kyoto are especially beautiful since they bloom around all of the old temples.

  35. I wish I had time to go to all of these places this spring! I get so excited when tulips start to peak out.🌷But there is always one last snow in spring here in CO that breaks tree branches and my heart.💔 One of the best spots for flowers is the sunflower fields I found last year in the late summer time. It’s always magical finding a field of flowers 🌻xo Jess https://www.windowseatview.com/2017/09/03/hidden-gems-of-colorado-sunflower-field/

  39. Beautiful! Don’t forget Provence in July when the lavender is in bloom! I don’t think I’ll ever forget the scent of all that fresh lavender on the breeze, driving around with the windows down near Sault, France. La vie en lavande!
    – Afton
    https://fishoutofwater.me/

  40. Hello Julia thanks for this post. It’s actually very cold in Paris so your post is a good way to dream about spring and flowers. I know that you like to visit France and between January and March you can see the beautiful mimosa in Côte d’Azur. You also havethe beautiful fields of rose in Grasse (probably in summer I think).
    Can’t wait to discover the gmg collection!!

  44. So since you’ve been to Minnesota in winter, you must come back in late spring/early summer for the crabapple trees, which are white, pale pink, or bright fuchsia. I am obsessed with them. That’s also about time the peonies start popping here, which is my other favorite :) OH and the catalpa trees.

    In other news I am completely over winter. :/

  45. We have tourists all over who visits Wilmington, NC for the Azalea festival in April. Airlie Gardens is stunning…tulips, daffodils, camillias, azaleas, 400+ year old live oaks, spanish moss, beautiful fountains, pergola, a house made of glass bottles, views of the intracoastal. Very pretty.

  46. can you do one of these posts for autumn leaves? Selfishly requesting because my husband and I are planning a trip this fall and need some guidance. Thanks!!

  47. All of these blooms are sooo beautiful! <3 :) Thank you so much for sharing all of these great locations! Definitely going to bookmark them! And ohh I've been wanting to go to Carlsbad near San Diego too! I heard the flowers are very beautiful as well!

    XO, Elizabeth
    http://clothestoyouuu.com/

  53. Aw this is such a lovely post, funnily enough one of my goals for 2018 is to have a year of flowers. I’ve got lots of trips planned in following the flowers blooming all around the English countryside. From Snowdrops to Daffodils, Hellebores and Tulips in the Spring, to Poppies fields, wildflower meadows and lavender farms in the summer. I’m very excited about it all! I was also really excited to read that you’re going to be coming to England to shoot some of the photos for the new GMG collection. I love seeing the pictures that you and Thomas create whenever you visit here. When I read that I thought that I must tell you about this most wonderful secret little garden that I found in the Cotswolds. It’s called Cerney House Gardens and it’s a gem of a place that somehow no-one seems to know about so it’s always quiet. It has the most stunning Spring bulb collection and would be a wonderful setting for your new dresses. I’ve popped some of the photos I took whilst there last spring in a couple of flickr albums here so you can have a look:

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/natashaewins/sets/72157679747507093, https://www.flickr.com/photos/natashaewins/sets/72157669674560972

    I have no idea if you’re planning to come back to the Cotswolds on your visit, I hope that you do and that you’ll have time to visit this magical fairytale garden.

  58. I love this post! At the end of April I am traveling to Holland to visit the Keukenhof gardens to see the tulips! I will have to add these locations to my flower tour bucket list :)

    Do you have any recommendations for spring shoes that are comfortable to walk long distances in but are also versatile and will look cute with outfits for a Euro Trip??

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