The transformation of winter to spring occurs in waves between the months of March to May, marking a shared experience across New York, with smaller flowers like snowdrops, daffodils and crocuses appearing from as early as late February, cherry blossoms, tulips and magnolias reaching peak bloom by April and longer lasting flowers like peonies, azaleas, early roses and fox gloves in late spring.
Where these spring flowers can be found on Long Island is typically on botanical gardens, arboretums and large estates that tend to have more space for these flowers to thrive. For example, Old Westbury Gardens and Planting Fields Arboretum. These locations are immersive open gardens that provide an immersive quiet serene experience of nature.
In New York City, flowers can be found like puzzle pieces as a part of the urban landscape. The most commonly known examples of urban gardens are Central Park or just neighborhood greens. There is a unique touch to city gardens given the juxtaposition between nature and urban culture.
“Spring is the perfect season to explore natural scenes without overbearing weather,” Sophomore Elenor Li Said.
Popular locations in Long Island are Pier A Park featuring a waterfront view and spring trees, James J. Braddock North Hudson County Park with quiet walk paths and wider variety of spring trees and Van Vleck House & Gardens consisting of concisely designed flower arrangements of tulips, magnolias and flower beds. These locations are often less crowded than ones in New York City.
The flower spots that are popular in the city are Central Park featuring cherry blossom trees and tulips, Brooklyn Botanic Garden featuring one of the best cherry blossom collections in the region and Riverside Park with spring trees blooming alongside the Hudson River. These spots are best visited on weekdays to avoid crowding that may occur later on the day.
What makes flowers so appealing to people is their fleeting nature. These beautiful plants only appear a short time every year, at a specific time of the year, making it an experience people hesitate to miss. Weather conditions also contribute towards how rare these viewing moments are, when without the right rainfall and temperature, it could disrupt or even damage what would have been perfectly normal flower blooming conditions. Despite the fragility, the careful change between the cold winters and warm summers finally bringing color back to life is what makes spring refreshing and special.
As springtime approaches, so does AP and finals. Taking advantage of these short lasting flowers to take a break and replenish the mind with nature can be helpful and improve focus to avoid burn out. Additionally, visiting your local flower gardens is a way to learn and build community. Exploring these areas can also foster understanding for the importance of nature in urban and suburban environments.
Spring flowers (Credit: Athena Liu).Besides observing or immersing yourself in nature while visiting these sites, there are also many activities that may enhance the quality of the visit, such as photography, picnicking and journaling. Photography would be a good activity especially in locations like the Brooklyn Botanic Garden with organized displays. Parks with lots of open space like in the Pier A Park offer a great setting for a picnic. A more academic approach to flower viewing would be suitable for journaling.
“Photographing nature looks is kind of nostalgic in a way; especially when it’s sunny out and there’s just a lot of flowers of different colors in the yard,” Sophomore Athena Liu Said. “My favorite thing to photograph in the spring has to be the flowers and the grass just because it’s nice how they’re all different colors and pretty.”
