Every spring, the undulating hills east of I-5 in Carlsbad explode with colour. This swirling sea of pink, yellow, red, and orange blossoms is called the Flower Fields.

Like strokes from the brush of a giant artist, the flowers roll across the hillsides in giant bands and chevrons. More than 90 per cent of the blooms are native to Asia Minor and sometimes called Persian buttercup. As many as 12 million ranunculus bulbs are harvested from the fields each year for sale at nurseries and garden centres around the country.

Theme gardens include the Cottage Garden, Fragrance Garden, and Shade Garden.  In the All-American Rose Selection Garden and Rose Walk of Fame are 173 types of award winning roses; the Colour Project garden showcases artists whose medium of choice is flowers.