Sunshine, Spring, and Superblooms 🌞🌸🌼
A random walk through spring.
Sunny Days in the Forecast ☀️
Living in Oregon, I’ve come to appreciate the sun. I was spoiled by the predictable sunny weather living in California for years. You could even say the weather there was monotonous, with relentless sunshine and blue skies every day. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a nice cup of tea as the Pacific Northwest rain patters against the window. And, of course, water is life. It nourishes our towering trees, lush forests, picturesque gardens, and the abundant nature that thrives here. But in Oregon, seizing every opportunity to soak up some vitamin D is like catching rays of liquid gold.
The Unpredictable Charm of Spring 🌦️
Spring in Oregon is not the same as walking along a straight path in the forest. It changes by the minute. One step forward, one step back. One moment, the sun breaks through the clouds, sharing its warmth. But don’t be fooled, the next moment, clouds and rain are not far behind, ready to make their encore.
The vernal equinox for the Northern Hemisphere marks the beginning of spring. It is the moment when there's a precise 12-hour difference between when the center of the sun rises and when the center of the sun sets. The word “equinox” comes from two Latin words meaning “equal” and “night.” So on the equinox, we usually enjoy slightly more than 12 hours of sunlight.1
I’ve noticed that people in Oregon love the colorful gardens that pop up during Spring. Some people even paint their houses yellow too! It helps to have the colors to sustain the winter to summer journey.
The cherry blossoms are peaking too! You can see them at many locations around Oregon.
Superb Superblooms 🌼🌸🌷🌻🌺 🌍
Superblooms are rare flowering events when spring comes alive with explosions of wildflowers so vast that they cover hundreds of miles. Native flower seeds can stay dormant in deserts and grasslands for years, waiting until the perfect conditions align to germinate and transform into magical seas of colorful, flowing blossoms.
Let’s plan a journey to visit the colorful floral blooms worldwide.
We’ll start in California with the super blooms. Poppies are my favorites! 🌼
Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve: Vast fields of California poppies.
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park: Desert wildflowers including verbena and lilies.
Death Valley National Park: Rare desert gold and sand verbena.
Joshua Tree National Park: Joshua trees and cholla cactus flowers.
Lake Elsinore: Poppies, lupines, and other wildflowers.
Carrizo Plain National Monument: Phacelia, goldfields, and owl’s clover.
Next, we tour north to Washington, west to Colorado, and south to Texas.
Mount Rainier National Park, Washington: Subalpine meadows with lupines and paintbrushes.
Crested Butte, Colorado: Wildflower Festival and diverse mountain flora.
Texas: Texas is the Bluebonnet state where wildflowers bloom throughout the year, with the most common ones like the Texas Bluebonnet, Indian Paintbrush, Winecup, and Texas spider lilies typically blooming from early spring to summer.
Next, let’s visit Holland, India, and Japan.
Keukenhof, Holland - One of the world’s largest flower gardens, also known as the Garden of Europe. The best time to view the tulips is around mid-April, depending on the weather.
Valley of Flowers National Park, India - A UNESCO World Heritage Site with high-altitude Himalayan flora.
Japan - The cherry blossoms, or sakura, typically peak from late March to early April.
So pack your bags, grab your camera, get ready, set, and let’s go on an unforgettable journey to explore the world’s most spectacular blooms!