A Full Life In Spring Bloom 

What plants do you most admire in springtime? 

“All good things are wild and free.” (Henry David Thoreau)

I possess a strong desire in my travels to come and go with an adventurous spirit. So it stands to reason that I would gravitate toward places where springtime plant growth similarly models such unrestrained possibilities of the human condition. Thus take a look at the following travel recommendations accompanied with photos of four plants that blossom randomly in abundance during springtime. Consider then that each of these botanical wonders would be well worth a vacation visit to exemplify one’s desire to roam wild and free.

ORCHIDS

Taking a short walk in a local park nearby my Fort Lauderdale home last week, I noticed wild orchids bunched up in all directions along the rough bark of an old oak tree as well as on the flaky skin of a sturdy palm tree. For orchids seem to like our noticeably hot and humid weather conditions. So for  botanically engaged enthusiasts of this beautiful flower, I would recommend you check out the Orchid Gardens at Fairchild Gardens Botanical Park in Coral Gables, Florida.

BLUEBONNETS

On a spring road trip recently, I took a sidetrack route from the Interstate Highway through Hill Country, Texas. Driving a popular loop corridor called the Bluebonnet Trail, I became a fortunate witness to the colorful explosion of Bluebonnet flowers blooming on  dry and rocky surfaces near and far. To further extend one’s vacation experience  of this Bluebonnet sensation, check out any seasonal Bluebonnet happenings in those small towns along the path  of this trail such as Ennis, Llano, and Kingsland, Texas. 

POPPIES

I would not expect to see a profusion of wild poppies as we drove east on road trip from Southern California into the Mojave Desert at anytime of the year. But I observed for myself during that springtime excursion such a concentration of bright orange flowers that resemble fields of gold thriving along country roads in this region.  For California poppies tend to thrive in such direct sunlight and sparse tree conditions. So I would recommend Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, in particular, as a worthy stop for the road trip tourist in the springtime blooming season. 

DANDELIONS

Yes, I know that dandelions are a kind of invasive weeds. So why would I include them as one of my favorite plants in springtime? Let’s just say that as I grew up as a child in Northeast Ohio, I displayed curious fascination with those little yellow flowers that bloomed in springtime abundance on seemingly every lawn in my neighborhood when those long winters ended. It thus became sheer fun for me for several months to either eat them, throw them, or just intently watch hungry bees feed on them for some prized nectar. Apparently, there are many others who live in temperate regions today that appreciate the dandelion buildup in springtime. So you might check out the local spirit provided by this conspicuously seen weed at Dandelion Festivals in Medford, New Jersey,  Boise, Idaho, White Sulfur Springs, West Virginia and Waukegan, Illinois this late spring/summer.