As the old adage goes, April showers bring May flowers. But if you live in the city, finding places to actually see those flowers may seem difficult.
Fortunately, there are many options around Baltimore for city residents (and those who live in surrounding counties) who want to enjoy nature—including public gardens, greenhouses and farms. These are our top picks for places to welcome spring with beautiful flowers.
Ladew Gardens
3535 Jarrettsville Pike, Monkton, MD 21111
Ladew Gardens is home to 22 acres of topiaries, walking trails and flower fields, with enough to do and see on the grounds to fill a whole day. The site is best known for its carefully maintained topiaries in the shapes of animals and hedge mazes, but it also includes several themed gardens highlighting different kinds of flowers.
These include the white, yellow and pink gardens, which are solely composed of flowers of those colors, and the rose, iris and water lily gardens, which are dedicated to specific variants of their namesakes.
An onsite nature trail takes visitors through Ladew’s more natural wildlife, such as its forests and butterfly meadow. Learn about the pollinators that keep the flowers blooming at the Butterfly House, which is entirely populated by native butterflies and moths captured on Ladew’s campus. ladewgardens.com
Sherwood Gardens
4310 Underwood Road, Baltimore, MD 21218
Sherwood Gardens is best known for its tulips, with 27 varieties in bloom during its peak season in April through late May.
The season comes to an end with the annual Tulip Dig on Memorial Day weekend, where volunteers and plant enthusiasts can dig up and take home tulip bulbs to plant in their own gardens.
Sherwood Gardens is also home to many other flowers that bloom in the springtime. Its original owner and namesake, John W. Sherwood, was especially fond of the azaleas that flower at around the same time as the tulips.
If you want to spend a full day in the area, the Homewood Museum, Baltimore Museum of Art and Evergreen Museum & Library are nearby. sherwoodgardens.org
H.P. Rawlings Conservatory and Botanic Gardens
3100 Swann Drive, Baltimore, MD 21217
If you’re worried about the weather preventing you from traveling to a flower garden or farm, this historic greenhouse might be the answer you’re looking for. Originally opened in 1888, the Rawlings Conservatory houses five unique gardens showcasing flora from around the world and from different climates.
Step into a rainforest or desert environment right in the middle of Baltimore. There’s also the famous Orchid Room, which houses several different orchid varieties.
The plants on display at the conservatory change every season, with the spring display featuring plants like paper flowers, moth orchids and silver torch cacti. rawlingsconservatory.org
Cylburn Arboretum
4915 Greenspring Ave., Baltimore, MD 21209
One of the largest garden sites on this list, Cylburn Arboretum occupies a whopping 200 acres of land in the middle of Baltimore City. There are gardens all throughout its campus, with a large variety of different kinds of flowers and trees.
Since there are no playgrounds or sports courts on the arboretum property, it’s a peaceful place to explore the gardens and view flowers. If you’re interested in learning more about the local wildlife, you can visit the onsite Cylburn Nature Education Center, which features several nature-themed exhibits.
If you like shopping, be sure to stop by during the arboretum’s annual Market Day, which occurs on the second Saturday in May and features flowers for sale, crafts, food and children’s activities. cylburn.org
Flower Mart at Mount Vernon Place
May 2 & 3 | 699 Washington Place, Baltimore, MD 21201
Flower enthusiasts won’t want to miss this annual festival, which is Baltimore’s oldest free public festival—taking place every year for more than a century! Flower and plant vendors from all over congregate at this celebration of spring to show off and sell their crops and host workshops focused on subjects like flower arrangement, crafts and gardening.
The event also features live music and food from local vendors, including the iconic lemon stick. Flower Mart is commonly cited as the origin of this sweet, minty treat. mountvernonplace.org/flower-mart
Lavender Farms
If you don’t want to say goodbye to flower season at the end of May, don’t worry! Lavender bloom season is just around the corner, and there are many lavender farms near Baltimore that are open to visitors.
Check out these lavender fields in June:
Serene Lavender Farm, Sykesville, MD | Star Bright Farm, White Hall, MD
Purple Rain Lavender Farm, Churchville, MD | Sunshine Acres Farm, Westminster, MD
Hidden Hippie Lavender Farm, Street, MD
