18 Places Where You Just Have to Stop and Smell the Flowers

Getting out and enjoying nature is a quintessential spring and summer activity, and one of the highlights is the way that nature seems to explode with color through the warmer seasons. There are many places across the world where people have created displays that highlight these small-scale wonders (from sanctuaries to farms), or where nature itself has done that work. Some stretch for miles, across rolling pastures and forest floors, while others are more secluded—perfect places to spend an afternoon with family and friends. 

In Woodburn, Oregon, you can find a slice of the Netherlands in the Pacific Northwest. The Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm is 40 acres with 80 types of tulips, all arranged in rows according to color. The farm is in the shadow of Mount Hood, and hot-air balloon rides are available for a special view of the floral rainbow. Each spring, the forest floor in Halle, Belgium, goes blue—a 1,360-acre forest blooms millions of bluebells. Trails meander through the forest, which is also home to 100 different species of birds. From a former trolley bridge transformed into a garden to Japan’s largest area of “pink moss,” here are some of our favorite floral fireworks.