11 Roses are the flowers of choice this week in Kentucky but outside Churchill Down's Winner's Circle on Derby Day, the showiest flowers are wild and blooming profusely across the Commonwealth. The red buckeyes are in full bloom at Bernheim Arboretum in Clermont and they are absolutely amazing to see. The dogwoods can still be seen along the edge of the forest.
Azaleas are all in bloom with colors ranging from white, to pink, to apricot.
Coming up, Bernheim in Blossom, a new annual spring event on May 12. Buckley Wildlife Sanctuary near Frankfort has many wildflowers blooming in their forest. In the field, you will find common blue violets, dandelion, ground ivy, golden ragwort, henbit, Indian strawberry, purple dead nettle, and speedwell. Along the stream there is purple phacelia, wild hyacinth and wild ginger. At Jenny Wiley State Resort Park in Prestonsburg most of the flowering plants can be observed on the roadway leading to the two-bedroom cottages.