The last couple of years have been more than a little tough on the southwest - wild fires, and cold wet winter that brought non-stop rainstorms to Southern California and Arizona. And now with a little warmth and sunshine, the wildflowers are out and everything is in bloom.

A quaint desert resort town, Borrego Springs is surrounded by over 650,000 acres of the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park - the largest state park in the contiguous US. Part of the Colorado Desert, the park boast miles of trails, wilderness areas, and a great variety birds and wildlife from big horn sheep to golden eagles. The desert scenery shifts from eroded badlands at near sea-level to pinon-juniper woodlands; vibrant spring wildflowers to lush oasis and palm groves; and craggy mountains that rush to sweeping vistas. This year the wildflowers are in full force in Borrego - fields of wildflowers including desert primrose, desert lilies and verbena blanket the washes and hillsides - it’s really worth a trip out to see them. Hiking and camping are great ways to get the full wildflower and desert experience. Palm Canyon hike is an great spring hike promising plenty of wildflowers and a lush oasis.

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Visitor Center is a must visit with it’s beautiful desert garden. They have fascinating exhibits, programs and a gift shop. Beside hosting great programs, they have plenty of information about the park, it’s wildflowers, hike and trails. (760) 767-4205, WILDFLOWER HOTLINE: (760) 767-4684

Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch features over 50 acres of giant ranunculus flowers in bloom from early March - late April, when they open to the ranch to the public for tours and special events. Palomar Airport Rd. (760) 431-0352

Maggee House & Garden features 5 small gardens - a herb garden, drought-tolerant garden, the Centennial garden, California native garden, and a rose garden. 258 Beech St., (760) 434-9189

Self Realization Fellowship Meditation Gardens offer breathtaking oceans views, soothing koi ponds and meditation areas and more. 215 K Street. (760) 753-1811

Quail Botanical Gardens sits on 30 acres displaying all kinds of unusual plants. People come from all over to see their incredible bamboo collection. 230 Quail Gardens Dr. (760) 436-3036, www.qbgardens.com

Mission San Luis Rey de Francia - the ‘King of Missions’, has lovely Mission Gardens where a massive pepper tree was planted in 1830, some lovely fountain features, succulents and more. 4050 Mission Ave. (760) 757-3651

The Morongo Basin

After a nice winter snow, plenty of rain and then some sunny days, the Morongo Basin encompassing Morongo Valley, Landers, Yucca Valley, Joshua Tree and Twentynine Palms, is expecting to have one of it’s biggest wildflower seasons this spring. Home to parks and preserves like Joshua Tree National Park (760) 367-5525, Pipes Canyons Preserve (760) 369-7105, Big Morongo Valley Preserve (760) 363-7190, and the gateway to the Mojave National Preserve - you can imagine just how colorful the area is going to be with all the hillsides and washes full of flowering cactus, wildflowers, shrubs and trees. Let’s not forget the flowering Joshua Trees and Yucca - both native to this high desert region.

The parks offer plenty of hiking, biking and equestrian trails to follow and get up close to the flowers. The park headquarters and some of the visitor centers offer updated wildflower lists and information.

Other interesting gardens and attractions include Park Center’s beautiful Sculpture Garden in Joshua Tree. Not only do they have a wide selection of desert gardening and wildflower books and information, but they also act as a visitor center and have plenty of park information. They also have an interpretive desert garden.
(760) 366-3448

The Basin region has a variety of lodging choices but some of the Bed and Breakfasts have noteworthy gardens: * Spin & Margie's Desert Hide-Away in Joshua Tree -(760) 366-9124

* The Homestead Inn Bed & Breakfast in Twentynine Palms has a lovely cactus garden and a garden trail that leads to her rescued desert tortoises. (760) 367-0030

* Roughley Manor has a beautiful garden with a natural wall of palms trees, a lovely English rose garden, water features, and even two owls who have called the Manor their home, and nest every spring up in the trees right outside the front door.

Yuma, Arizona

Fields of desert primrose, lantana, sage and other varieties of wildflowers are blanketing the side of Interstate 8 and Hwy. 95 heading north - it’s a big wildflower season for Yuma and it’s desert neighbors. Colors reach full bloom from mid-March to mid-April, and most of the trees flower from April to May.

One of the best ways to see the flowers is to hike or take a nature trail in one of the parks or nature areas like Picacho State Recreation Area (760) 482-2550, Palm Canyon, The Castle Dome Mountains, Kofa Wildlife Refuge (928) 783-7861, and the Imperial National Wildlife Refuge (928) 783-3371. Other garden attractions include:

The Yuma Conservation Area Garden is a 28 acre site that’s home to a botanical garden featuring Sonoran Desert vegetation, a pond for wild and domestic fowl, and a display of antique farm equipment. Pacific Ave. and Hwy. 80. (928) 317-1935

The Garden Cafe is a lovely outdoor restaurant that is surrounded by lush vegetation, flowers, birds and butterflies. The food is excellent and it’s conveniently located next to the Century House Museum- one of Yuma’s most historic buildings. 250 Madison Ave. (928) 783-1491.

The Peanut Patch gives tours explaining the history of peanut farming in Yuma, how a peanut plant grows and gets harvested, and other fascinating peanut facts. 4322 East County 13th Street. (928) 726-6292