If you think you know what the Carlsbad Flower Fields are going to look like when they start blooming later this month, especially if your thoughts come from seeing them in the past, you might be surprised.
For the first time in more than 15 years, the distinctive fields of Giant Tecolote Ranunculus flowers that offer spectacular, colorful views throughout 50 acres on the eastern side of Interstate Highway 5 in Carlsbad, will be dramatically different.
The rainbow-like arrangement, in which the flowers are lined up in contrasting colors, will give way to a new color pattern, in which similar shades of the same color will be arranged together to give a gradient, colorful transition.
"People are going to notice right away that it's a different color pattern," Fred Clarke, the general manager of The Flower Fields. "It's going to be more harmonious in the transition and just flat-out gorgeous."
The Flower Fields will open to the public on March 1, and the 2012 season will continue through May 13. The fields are open to the public seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, visit www.theflowerfields.com.
Clarke said the new pattern will be the culmination of nearly two years of planning and working in collaboration with a consultant. They idea to change up the planting was started before last season.
Last year a small test plot was planted on the northern part of the fields to evaluate seed production and how the new pattern would look. Clarke said that visitors who made it to the test site, located on the far north end of the field, were impressed."
"They would all come back and say, 'Wow! That was really beautiful down there,'" Clarke said. The reviews and the test reinforced the decision to move forward with the change for this year.
The ranunculus is a one-year crop, and the fields are planted sequentially. The first planting took place in October, and about 7 acres are planted every three weeks until the middle of December, when the last seeds are put in the ground.
Clarke said the fields are at their most colorful in late March through May.
The Flower Fields draw from 125,000 to 135,000 people a year, Clarke said, and the number keeps growing from 4,000 to 5,000 each year.
Clarke said that this new move might make for an even bigger year for the fields, drawing new visitors and enticing visitors from past years to return.
"If you've seen The Flower Fields before, you haven't seen them like this," said Clarke.
During the course of the season, the Flower Fields will host weekend activities, including music festivals and arts and crafts.
For more information about The Flower Fields, visit www.theflowerfields.com.
For the first time in more than 15 years, the distinctive fields of Giant Tecolote Ranunculus flowers that offer spectacular, colorful views throughout 50 acres on the eastern side of Interstate Highway 5 in Carlsbad, will be dramatically different.
The rainbow-like arrangement, in which the flowers are lined up in contrasting colors, will give way to a new color pattern, in which similar shades of the same color will be arranged together to give a gradient, colorful transition.
"People are going to notice right away that it's a different color pattern," Fred Clarke, the general manager of The Flower Fields. "It's going to be more harmonious in the transition and just flat-out gorgeous."
The Flower Fields will open to the public on March 1, and the 2012 season will continue through May 13. The fields are open to the public seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, visit www.theflowerfields.com.
Clarke said the new pattern will be the culmination of nearly two years of planning and working in collaboration with a consultant. They idea to change up the planting was started before last season.
Last year a small test plot was planted on the northern part of the fields to evaluate seed production and how the new pattern would look. Clarke said that visitors who made it to the test site, located on the far north end of the field, were impressed."
"They would all come back and say, 'Wow! That was really beautiful down there,'" Clarke said. The reviews and the test reinforced the decision to move forward with the change for this year.
The ranunculus is a one-year crop, and the fields are planted sequentially. The first planting took place in October, and about 7 acres are planted every three weeks until the middle of December, when the last seeds are put in the ground.
Clarke said the fields are at their most colorful in late March through May.
The Flower Fields draw from 125,000 to 135,000 people a year, Clarke said, and the number keeps growing from 4,000 to 5,000 each year.
Clarke said that this new move might make for an even bigger year for the fields, drawing new visitors and enticing visitors from past years to return.
"If you've seen The Flower Fields before, you haven't seen them like this," said Clarke.
During the course of the season, the Flower Fields will host weekend activities, including music festivals and arts and crafts.
For more information about The Flower Fields, visit www.theflowerfields.com.