Dear bloomers,

I love to travel. Experiencing the different histories, landscapes, people and food of new destinations is truly a fulfilling thing, but my favorite part about traveling is discovering the plants and flowers that decorate the beautiful landscapes of foreign places. Flowers are a huge part of the identity of a place. There is reason why there is a national flower to every state or country. They are what make a place memorable.

I recently traveled to my home country of Puerto Rico and was reminded by all the Flor De Maga’s of my childhood. I remember seeing their bright red blooms burning bright in the Caribbean sun as I played outside. Sometimes I may travel to a new place and see a flower that I never knew could even exist. I fell in love with Birds of Paradise when I moved to LA. I never thought a plant could exist that resembled an animal so well. Flowers are nature’s paintings and there are so many types, shapes and sizes for us to enjoy all over the world. What is your favorite foreign flower?

With ever-blooming love,

Leyandra