World’s Best Places to See Beautiful Flowers

Netherlands

Holland—famous for its bulb flowers, particularly tulips—always draws visitors at the first sign of spring. This year, there's an extra-special reason to go: Floriade, the World Horticultural Expo running from April 5 through October 7. The sixth edition of this decennial event will consist of more than 100 exhibits focusing on garden-appropriate themes like the environment and "relax & heal." Can't make it this year and don't want to wait another decade? Keukenhof (pictured) in Lisse is an annual (no pun intended) favorite when it comes to gorgeous Dutch gardens.

Washington, D.C.

Travelers who elect to take a springtime trip to Washington, D.C., will win big with the National Cherry Blossom Festival occurring this year from March 20 through April 27. In 1912, 3,000 trees gifted from Tokyo took root, and they have provided cotton-candy-like bursts around the Tidal Basin for a full century. To commemorate this year's centennial, the city will celebrate with a parade, fireworks, and a Japanese street festival. For planning help, there's an app and a money-saving Petal Pass. Further afield, Japan (where the sakura originated) and Korea are also prime cherry-blossom destinations.

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California

Desert lavender, flowering cacti, yellow brittlebush, rock daisies, pygmy poppies, purple phacelia. The list of wildflowers is as vast as this state park (the largest in California) located about a two-hour drive from San Diego. And the various species all seem to weave together to form a colorful carpet over any barren patch in the Anza-Borrego Desert. In addition to flora, visitors can spot fauna in the form of bighorn sheep (borrego in Spanish) who take refuge in the park. Wildflower displays vary in intensity, depending on the year, and typically begin to bloom in late February or early March.

Ottawa, Canada

Holland might be more famous for tulips, but it's Canada that hosts the "largest tulip festival in the world," at least according to the Canadian Tulip Festival held in the capital city of Ottawa every year. However, this claim is only possible as a result of a Dutch treat of sorts. In 1945 Princess Juliana of the Netherlands offered Ottawa a gift of 100,000 tulip bulbs as a thank you for Canada's role in helping the European country and its royal family during World War II. Today, the festival symbolizing international friendship offers free admission into all its vivid displays throughout the city. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the event, which takes place from May 4 through 21.

England

As part of the narcissus family, daffodils sure like to claim the spotlight. These show-offs use their bright yellow trumpets to signal the coming of spring and are perhaps the most popular flower of the season in England. They grow wild on the roadsides, in careful clumps in manicured gardens, or along parallel rows in eye-blinding fields. You can find them all over the country, but prime viewing locations include the Cotswolds, Cornwall, and Thriplow (near Cambridge), which has a dedicated festival in March. The Daffodil Society also hosts a variety of shows in honor of this brazen flower.

Lake Tekapo, New Zealand

Known in part for its usefulness in providing hydroelectricity, Lake Tekapo on New Zealand's South Island also offers untouched landscapes that would bring any artist to his or her knees. In summer (mid-November through January), Russell lupines in purple, pink, and blue hues stand more than a yard tall in dense packs, creating a perfect foreground for the glistening lake and the Southern Alps behind it. This "weed" is anything but to would-be photographers and travelers who come from all over to see its untamed majesty in bloom.

Texas Hill Country

Thanks in large part to Lady Bird Johnson and the Highway Beautification Act of 1965, the Lone Star State is home to more than 5,000 wildflower species. And Texas Hill Country is the perfect seeding ground, particularly when it comes to bluebonnets. This spring, experts are predicting a very colorful season. It also marks the centennial celebration for Lady Bird Johnson, with special events at the Wildflower Center named in her honor. Visit Wildseed Farms, the largest wildflower farm in the country, or indulge on the Wine & Wildflower Trail.

RHS Chelsea Flower Show, London, England

Always attended by England's royal family, The Royal Horticultural Society's Chelsea Flower Show is the queen mother of all flower shows. Held on the grounds of the Chelsea Hospital for almost a century, it's always been a showcase for nursery exhibits and model gardens. This year, the London event has added a new "Fresh Gardens" category to challenge designers to think outside the (flower) box. View the artful botanical displays from May 22 through 26, and purchase tickets in advance online.

Azores, Portugal

The subtropical archipelago of the Azores is a haven for botanical delights. The islands of Sao Miguel (the largest) and Flores, which translates into "flowers," are especially lush. While many local species are native, others, such as azaleas and camellias, were introduced more recently for aesthetic and practical purposes. Perhaps the most stunning are the sky- to cobalt-blue (and sometimes magenta) hydrangeas used to delineate farms and line the roadsides. The best views are achieved on hikes up the calderas and to the crater lakes. But in Furnas (on Sao Miguel), the exotic Terra Nosta Botanical Garden, established in 1780 by American-born Thomas Hickling, is the best way to capture a microcosm of Azorean flora.

Provence, France

There's nothing quite like the flowers of Provence. They've inspired Cezanne and Van Gogh, as well as the imagination of visitors the world over. With summer sunshine comes the region's towering golden sunflowers, while rows of herbaceous lavender line the Luberon countryside from early June through the August harvest. Gather up bunches for cooking or for sachets, or immerse yourself in all things lavender at a farm, a distillery, a museum, or a festival (in Sault or Valreas). At the very least, linger by the fields long enough for an aromatic breeze or an unforgettable photo op.

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