Some years I make a spring fun list — one of my seasonal lists that help me figure out how to experience the season. For instance, you can see my 2022 list here.
I didn’t make a formal list this year. In particular, it’s not going to work to take some longer trips to see flowers (I missed the cherry blossoms in DC, and we will not make it out to Holland Ridge Farms before the tulips are over). But I am still doing some pared down floral tourism.
For instance, yesterday I went to Chanticleer Garden — it’s only about 20 minutes from my house, so I can take a longer lunch break, drive there, walk around for 40 minutes, and drive back. The longer we live in this area, the more I become familiar with the waves of spring. For instance, the magnolia trees are almost done flowering, though the Yoshino cherries are still out. The forsythia is out, and all the daffodils, hellebores, and hyacinths. The various ground covers (phlox, periwinkle) are blooming. But the tulips haven’t opened yet, nor the dogwoods and crabapples, which will be another later wave of flowering trees.
I have enjoyed using the PictureThis app for some plants that I sort of know but am not 100 percent sure on. It’s good to confirm names! It’s like when people you’re pretty sure you know but sometimes wonder wear name tags at a party. Phew.
Anyway, I still have to figure out how to get to Longwood, but since that isn’t so focused on one flower (like the DC cherries, or Holland Ridge in NJ) the timing is a little more flexible…