While many tourists long to visit Holland to see its famous tulips and Japan for its cherry blossom trees,  you can see both natural wonders each spring in Dallas, Texas.

During the seasonal Dallas Blooms festival at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, flower beds erupt into an riot of bright colors.

D Magazine recently tallied all the key numbers on the blooming extravaganza: 500,000 spring-blooming bulbs; 3,000 azaleas; and 150 blooming cherry trees.

It’s no wonder that so many brides and teen girls celebrating their quiñceaneras choose the garden as an ideal site for formal photos (which also makes the garden a joy for fans of people watching).

The plentiful flowers in expertly designed color combinations make the Dallas Arboretum one of the world’s best botanical gardens.

This year, the festival theme is “Peace, Love and Flower Power.” An adorable Volkswagen Beetle and van are festooned with greenery, with a “Peace” sign alongside them and a “Flower Power” photo frame.

Hurry if you want to see the flowers in full brown: prematurely warm spring temperatures (including a recent high of 92 degrees) meant earlier blooms this year. It’s cooler when the garden first opens at 9 a.m.

Two hours of strolling the gardens should be enough time to see everything. You can also pack a picnic to enjoy in the gardens, as many families and couples do. It isn’t unusual to see people reclining on the lawn.

A concert series also continues throughout the spring, and the annual Artscape fine art and crafts show sale in the gardens (April 29-30) is always a nice time to visit. Dallas Blooms lasts through April 9.

Tulips

The tulips are plentiful and multicolored – the true stars of Dallas Blooms. Whether solid in color or striped, smooth-petaled or fringed, they are a delight.

 

 

I enjoyed taking some closeup shots of the tulips in bloom. Water droplets bubbled on their delicate petals. My favorite flowers were the fringed variety – a whimsical twist on a traditional flower.

Blossoming Trees

The beloved cherry blossom trees may only bloom for a brief window of time, but they create a heavenly atmosphere that endures in lasting memories. The white blossoms almost remind me of snow-covered trees.

In Japan, they are referred to as sakura — and many women dress in beautiful kimonos and have their hair and makeup done in order to pose in front of them  (not a bad idea).

Early-blooming pink blossoms were also plentiful.

Azaleas

Red, fuchsia, pale pink and white azalea beds mixed together to form a wall of flowers.

The arboretum seems to know that azalea beds serve as a colorful background for family photos. Many benches are mixed amongst the beds.

Wisteria

Lazily drooping downwards, the aromatic purple wisteria create a romantic sensibility.

Japanese Maples

If you feel like experiencing the warm red hues of fall, simply walk over to the flaming red Japanese maple grove and you will be transported into a totally different color palette.

Daffodils 

Daffodils made an early showing in February, and the many varieties of yellow and white flowers created the earliest bright spots of color in the garden.

Other Spring Flowers

The Arboretum isn’t limited just to the commonly known flowers listed above. There truly is a flower for everyone’s taste! My favorite flower was the electric blue variety below.

Related Links:

• “Dallas Blooms,” Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden 
• “Just How Many Flowers Were Used for Dallas Arboretum’s Dallas Blooms?” D Magazine
• “Dallas Blooms 2017,” The Rose Table