In March 2019 Chris and I were in California visiting a couple of our good friends. We knew the time of year was right for us to catch the Californian and Nevada deserts in flower, the fast growing annuals and ephemeral plants growing and flowering within a number of days of rains to set seed before the drying heat of summer. As reports started popping up on my Instagram feed of a ‘once in a lifetime superbloom event’ just north west of where we were staying in Palm Springs, it added a new level of excitement. We planned a detour to see if the rumours of mountains of orange Californian poppy were true. On the morning, news stories reported the superbloom being closed to visitors to protect it or it being so busy people couldn’t get in. I will never forget that drive, my heart racing with an urgency to see it in person while we were so close. As we turned one final corner and a set of bright orange mountains miles in the distance came into view, emotions took over and the rest was a profound dream that changed my view of the world and informed my work in gardens. Rangers managed the site well allowing sensible access along paths. In future years as the climate changes and humans continue to reduce wild habitats, events like this may become fewer or not exist at all. Weather patterns are changing already, affecting plant growing cycles. Natural wonder of this kind should freely happen the world over for everyone to see. For all of these reasons, I am glad to have captured what we saw in the photos below.
Fantastic!! Thank you for sharing!