Baltimore is a vibrant city where tradition blends seamlessly with modernity, but stone and steel is not all there is to see. Take a stroll down a path, or travel just a short way outside the city and you’ll find yourself in the quiet serenity of the natural world. Watch the trees mark the seasons, birds and animals go about their daily lives and, using our list below, seek out the best places in and around Baltimore, MD for spotting flowers, both cultivated and wild.
Gwynns Falls Trail
Winans Meadow- Trail Head 2
4500 Franklintown Road
Baltimore, MD 21229
Starting at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, Gwenns Falls Trail is a 15 mile stretch of beauty that meanders through the city and several parks. Start anywhere along the route and treat yourself to a day with gorgeous scenery and wildflowers galore. The trail is friendly for biking and rollerblading as well, so you can move along as slowly or as fast as you like.
Meadowside Nature Center
5100 Meadowside Lane
Rockville, Maryland 20855
http://www.montgomeryparks.org/parks-and-trails/rock-creek-regional-park/meadowside-nature-center/
Meadowside Nature Center is part of Rock Creek Regional Park. The center acts as a base from which you can branch out to go flower spotting along eight miles of nature trails. When you’re ready for a little bit of a change, you can also spend some time viewing the owls, eagles and hawks the area is famous for.
Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory And Botanical Gardens
3100 Swann Drive
Baltimore, Md. 21217
(410) 523-1341
Not everyone has either the desire or the ability to go hiking nature trails, of course, but don’t worry—Baltimore has that covered. These botanical gardens have been drawing visitors since 1888, and even today are well worth the visit. With greenhouses, conservatories and gardens sprawled throughout you can get your fill of wildflowers (and lots more!) in comfort, no matter the season.
Cylburn Arboretum
4915 Greenspring Ave.
Baltimore, Md. 21209
(410) 367-221
Cylburn Arboretum is another venue that brings the beauties of nature and the natural world right to you. Beautiful gardens, including a wildflower preserve, await you. You can wander as your fancy takes you or sign up for a guided tour to learn more about what you’re seeing and how it came about.
Gramercy Mansion
1400 Greenspring Valley Road
Baltimore, Md. 21153
(410) 486-2405
Looking to get away for more than just the day? The romantic, scenic Gramercy Mansion Bed and Breakfast might be just the thing. The magnificent gardens are landscaped and walkable, perfect for spotting the floral beauty of cultivated and wildflowers while on a romantic stroll.
