Designer Stefano Gabbana once said, “To me, flowers are happiness.” We couldn’t agree more and the Chesapeake Bay Region is home to many beautiful flowers. Here are some that you can find around the mid-Atlantic.
Tulips
Tulips say spring like no other flowers. The impressive strength of a delicate looking flower with amazing color makes the tulip a favorite. Here are the best places to see beautiful tulips around the Chesapeake Bay.
Freesia
Freesias are one of the world’s most popular cut flowers. They are loved for their bright colors, long vase life and fragrance. Freesias are mostly grown in northern Maryland or Delaware since they thrive in a cooler climate.
Snap Dragons
Bright snapdragon flowers bloom profusely throughout cool weather in intensely saturated colors They come in upwards of 60+ colors and they look perfect in their own vase or in a mixed bouquet.
Sweet Peas
The Chesapeake Bay Region is perfect for planting and growing Sweet Peas. They have a vast range of colors and bloom in solid and mixed color. They are long-lasting and fragrant flowers that look fabulous in large loose arrangement.
Roses
Rose come in three main categories: Wild Roses, Old Garden Roses, and Modern Garden Roses with Modern Garden being the most common. Modern Roses bloom continuously, have a larger bloom size, come in many colors and longer vase life.
The Chesapeake Region has several great rose gardens to visit: Bon Air Memorial Rose Garden in Arlington, VA; The Margaret Hagedorn Rose Garden of the US Botanic Garden Conservatory in DC; The Kathrine Dulin Folger Rose Garden, east of Smithsonian Castle in DC; and The Brookside Gardens Rose Garden in Montgomery County, Maryland.
Gardenias
With their strong, sweet scent and large size, gardenias make perfect flowers for cut flower arrangements. Gardenias come in shades of white or ivory and make good houseplants.
Calla Lilies
The flowers of calla lilies are stunning and vary in color from red to pink to white to yellow. In the language of flowers, white calla lilies stand for marital bliss and true devotion—which may be why brides use them for everything from their wedding bouquet to table arrangements.
Orchids
Orchids represents love, luxury, beauty and strength and they have been trending the last few years. Their design bring life to arrangements with a huge range of colors and patterns and have countless varieties.
Peonies
Known for their large, beautiful spring flowers, traditional peonies come in white, pink, rose, and red. Tree peonies and hybrid peonies come in a more extensive color palette and include shades of coral, yellow, dark mahogany, and deep purple. Peonies are versatile flowers—they pair well with lots of other floral varietals.
Virginia bluebells
Virginia bluebells will thrive in all of Virginia's climate zones. A hardy native plant, bluebells bloom in early spring, bearing abundant blue, bell-shaped flowers. The plants feature dissected gray-green foliage and rose-purple flowers.
Irises
Irises are vastly underrated since they are low-maintenance and easy to grow. They are mainly associated with a bright purplish hue but come in beautiful varieties that have a sunset coloring that are unique and beautiful. Throwing in white irises to a bouquet adds texture and a little frilliness.
Forsythia
Forsythia bursts into a vibrant display of golden blooms before any foliage emerges breaking up the gloom of winter with a promise of warmth. They create stunning golden knolls throughout landscapes. These long flowering branches work well on their own in large, sculptural arrangements as they bring brightness to any room.
Delphinium
Delphinium are known for their beautiful, tall spires of blue blooms. Tall and elegant, delphiniums are statement-makers, and usually work well alone in an arrangement. They come in varying shades of blue and blueish-purple.
Black eyed Susan
A symbol of the Preakness and the Maryland State flower, the Black eyed Susan is a staple of encouragement and motivation. They are very durable and can last incredibly long.
Roadside Daylily
Many people think of the Roadside daylilies as a weed. They are not really lilies as they naturalize quickly and fill old homesteads and ditches everywhere. They add wonderful color with almost no work. The common orange color is how they are known but they also come in many different colors.
Salvia “May Night”
It is one of those plants that belong in every garden. Salvia ‘May Night’ prefers full sun and can survive hot areas. They bloom richly with deep purple-blue flowers for an extended period of time.
Cranesbill
Cranesbills, or hardy geraniums, have been gaining popularity over the past decade. They don’t make the best loose bouquet, but they look beautiful in flower beds as they are easy to grow.
Azaleas
It is not Spring in the Chesapeake Bay Region until the Azaleas bloom. We are lucky to have Azaleas in almost every color of the rainbow.
Lilacs
A lilac in full bloom, with its splendid fragrance, is a breathtaking sight. Lilacs bloom in seven official colors: white,Tagged: Chesapeake Bay, Chesapeake Bay Region, Flowers, Virginia