5 Places To Visit To See Spring Flowers in Northern Virginia

Spring is a beautiful time of year here in Fairfax County, Virginia. Although we are still fighting off winter, pretty soon the spring flowers will bust out and our neighborhoods will be filled with the bright colored azaleas, the white petals from the dogwoods, the soft pink flowers on the redbud trees and the red and yellow tulips will be standing tall in the flower beds.

If you are looking for places to visit to admire the lovely spring flowers or perhaps learn more about them, here are 5 places you should definitely visit here in Northern Virginia!

Bull Run Regional Park – 7700 Bull Run Drive, Centreville, VA 20121
Bull Run Regional Park contains miles of scenic and historic hiking trails and around mid-April you’ll want to explore the Bluebell trail, with over 25 varieties of wildflowers in bloom. The Bluebells are beautiful as they cover the ground with their purple/blue colored bell-shaped flowers. The park is offering The Wonders of Wildflowers, a nature hike to explore all the fascinating secrets of spring wildflowers on April 13 and 14 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for ages 8 and older. These programs are led by a NOVA Parks Roving Naturalist. But you are also free to walk the trails and explore the flowers on your own. Wear comfortable walking/hiking shoes and bring a water bottle. New this year is the 1st Annual Bluebell 5K on Sat. April 13, 2019. Come out and enjoy a flat, paved route and view the beautiful flowers blooming along the banks of Bull Run. Runners, walkers and strollers welcome! Participants receive a t-shirt, custom medal and professional chip timing. 8:00am to 10:00am

bluebells in bloom
Bluebells at Bull Run Regional Park

Riverbend Park – 8700 Potomac Hills Street, Great Falls, VA 22066
Another great place to view the Virginia Bluebells is at Riverbend Park. These gorgeous flowers carpet the park’s floodplain with their magnificent blooms. Each year they have a festival to welcome and celebrate spring and the arrival of the Bluebells. This year, the Bluebells at the Bend festival is Saturday, April 6 from 10am to 3pm. A great event for the whole family! Enjoy wildflower walks, face painting, live animals, moonbounce, and music. There will also be food vendors, crafts, the longhouse to explore, puppet shows and wagon rides. The cost is $7 per person in advance; $9 at the door. NOTICE: April 5, 2019 Bluebells peak period is April 6 – April 14.

bluebells blooming along walking trail
Bluebells at Riverbend Park

Green Spring Garden – 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, VA 22312
Green Spring Gardens is a must-visit park, located near the border of Annandale and Alexandria. The park has a wooded stream valley with ponds, a naturalistic native plant garden, more than 20 thematic demonstration gardens, a greenhouse, a plant shop, two gift shops, a historic house, and a horticultural reference library. Park grounds are open from dawn to dusk year-round and admission is free. Stop by and see all the spring flowers in bloom including 19 cherry trees. It’s a nice place to walk around while admiring the gardens and flowers.

blooming tree
Green Spring Gardens

Meadowlark Botanical Garden9750 Meadowlark Gardens Ct, Vienna, VA 22182
Meadowlark consists of 95 acres of ornamental display gardens and unique native plant collections. Stroll along the walking trails as you enjoy the lovely gardens, fountains, ponds, gazebo and wildlife. During March and April, plants that are blooming include: Daffodils, Minor Bulbs, Tulips, Magnolias, Flowering Cherries, Potomac Valley Native Wildflowers, Rock Garden, Conifers Collection, Lenten Rose. Check out the Daffodils near the Woods Gazebo and Lake Carolyn Irises & Cherry Trees. Then in the month of May, you will see Scillas, Azaleas, Rhododendron, Dogwoods, Lilacs, Siberian Irises, Bradford Pears, Flowering Plums, Butterfly Garden, Crab Apples, White Garden, Tulips, Potomac Valley Native Wildflowers, Peonies, Alliums and Flowering shrubs. Don’t miss the White Garden near the Atrium & Peonies behind Lake Carolyn.

Bridge and gazebo in the spring.
Meadowlark Botanical Gardens

Burnside Farms – The Festival of Spring
The current estimate to open the 2019 season is mid-April. Once they are open, they’re open 21-30 days on average. Check their website or Facebook page for updates.
Burnside Farm’s Festival of Spring is a unique, magical event that’s fun for the whole family. They plant more than eight acres of spring flowers for one of the most spectacular pick-your-own events in North America. More than a million tulips and daffodils in bloom! It’s a beautiful sight to see and a great opportunity for you to pick your own bouquet of spring flowers. The opening date of the Festival of Spring is currently estimated to be mid/late-April, but will be announced soon along with exact location of this years event (Bristow/Nokesville area). Opening day is hard to predict due to weather conditions, but keep an eye on their website or facebook page for an announcement. We will also post it on our pages.

spring flowers

For more things to do this spring, visit our other pages MAY EVENTS, SPRING FAIRS AND FESTIVALS AND FARMERS MARKETS.