Tiptoe through the Ranunculus

When the Carlsbad flower fields are at the height of their bloom, as they are now, walking through them always reminds me of that scene in the Wizard of Oz where Dorothy and her companions come upon the poppies. But the jolting intensity of the colors in Carlsbad couldn’t put anyone to sleep. You drink it all in, and it wakes you up, like coffee. Tourists come by the bus load to try to capture the experience with their cameras. Forget that. It takes the human eye to catch all the nuances, and then all you can do is try to sear the images on your brain.

I hadn’t been to the fields for a couple of years, so I was surprised last weekend by the crowds. I had to park in the auxiliary lot, and when I left around 12:30, that too was almost full. The management claims that more than 200,000 people visit each year, and it felt like half of them were in attendance. And why not? The $10 general admission ticket buys you a dose of agrotourism at its finest. If strolling through the more than 50 acres of giant ranunculus isn’t enough, there’s also a sweet pea maze, a poinsettia tent, gem mining, a rose garden, an artist’s garden, food, and live entertainment.

The agricultural part of this place is today and for decades has been all about the ranunculus bulbs. Between 6-8 million of them are harvested every June and July, to be shipped worldwide. Despite the gem mining, blue grass, and other frou-frou, the touristic part, as far as I’m concerned, is all about the blooms — literally millions of them, including two acres of specialty flowers other than ranunculus. The operators claim that it amounts to the broadest range of garden color in North America, with more than 70 genera and 1400 varieties of annuals, perennials, and spring garden mums.

The fields will continue to be open till mid-May.  For hours visit www.theflowerfields.com. And if the Carlsbad display seems just too gaudy and excessive, the next month offers a dazzling range of other garden-viewing delights. San Diego Master Gardener Mary James has compiled a comprehensive list  of upcoming garden tours and posted it on the San Diego County Master Gardener’s website.