Birthday
HydrangeasEndless fields of tulips, lavender or poppies are among nature’s most spectacular sights, and many of them can be seen in person if you know where and when to go. We have gathered the world’s and Ukraine’s most beautiful flower fields, sorted them by bloom month and added tips on catching the peak and taking great photos.
Red and multicoloured: tulips and poppies
The Netherlands. The world’s tulip capital. From late March to early May the fields of the Bollenstreek between Leiden and Haarlem turn into striped carpets, and Keukenhof displays some 7 million bulbs. Tulips usually peak from mid to late April.
Skagit Valley, USA. Each April Washington State hosts a tulip festival across hundreds of hectares of fields beneath the mountains.
Poppies. Red poppies bloom in May and June in Tuscany and Provence, while California’s Antelope Valley reserve turns orange with California poppies in March–April. Read more in poppy flower meaning.
Orange and yellow fields
Namaqualand, South Africa. After winter rains, in August–September this semi-desert in the west of South Africa is covered for a few weeks in orange and yellow wild daisies — one of the planet’s most astonishing blooms.
Globeflowers. Orange and yellow Trollius form bright meadows in the mountains of Europe and Asia in late spring.
Rapeseed and sunflowers. The most famous rapeseed “sea” is in Luoping County, China (February–March). In Ukraine rapeseed flowers in May and sunflowers in July, with yellow fields to the horizon in almost any region of the centre and south.
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Blue and green: Hitachi Seaside Park
Hitachi Seaside Park in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, is famous for hills of nemophila: in late April and early May more than 4 million baby-blue-eyes merge with the sky. In summer the same hills are covered with green kochia — fluffy round bushes that turn bright red in October. For more on Japan’s love of flowers, see Japanese flower traditions.
Purple fields: lavender
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Provence. Lavender blooms from late June to mid-July, with the best-known fields on the Valensole plateau and around Sénanque Abbey.
Hokkaido. Japan’s lavender capital is Furano, peaking in July.
Ukraine. There are lavender farms near Kyiv and in Odesa, Kherson and other regions; many welcome visitors and host photo shoots in late June and July. Read about lavender as a gift in lavender gift ideas.
Where to see blooms in Ukraine
- Uzhhorod — cherry blossom along the streets and embankment in April.
- Kyiv — spring tulip shows at Spivoche Pole, magnolias and lilacs at the Hryshko Botanical Garden in April–May.
- Uman and Bila Tserkva — spring bulbs and rhododendrons in the Sofiyivka and Oleksandriia arboretums.
- Across the country — rapeseed in May, poppies in late May–June, lavender in late June, sunflowers in July.
Photographing without harm
- Follow bloom forecasts: the peak lasts only 1–2 weeks and depends on the weather.
- The best light is early morning and at sunset; at midday the fields are crowded.
- Don’t walk deep into crops or pick flowers: stick to paths and field edges, and check the rules at private farms.
- Include the horizon, trees or a person for a sense of scale.
FAQ
When is the best time to see Dutch tulip fields?
Mid to late April, when most varieties are in bloom.
Where can I see a blue field of nemophila?
At Hitachi Seaside Park in Japan in late April and early May.
When does lavender bloom in Ukraine?
Usually from late June to mid-July, depending on the region and weather.
Can’t travel to the blooms? We’ll bring them to you: bouquets with delivery in Kyiv from UFL.
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Author: Maria Svitlovir
Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.
