Flower Power, Discover Amador Flower Farm

By Mary Chatsworth

Hidden just south of us, in Amador County, is the perfect place to enjoy a spring day. Amador Flower Farm is best known for its 800 varieties of daylilies, but when spring arrives, the twelve-acre farm explodes with all kinds of greenery and bright, fresh blooms, making now one of the best times to go.

Located in the town of Plymouth, about an hour southeast of Sacramento along Highway 16, the farm is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., year-round, with free tram ride tours offered on weekends (weather permitting). Bring your own picnic lunch and spend the afternoon shaded by 300-year-old Heritage Oak trees. Picnic tables are located next to a pond filled with friendly ducks and frogs. You can check out a map of the grounds and get more information at AmadorFlowerFarm.com or by calling (209) 245-6660.

You can also find a thrill on nearby Daffodil Hill. The aptly-named four-acre farm erupts in a spectacular display of bright yellow each spring. The farm has been owned by the McLaughlin family since 1887, and they’ve been planting thousands of new bulbs each year for decades. Today Daffodil Hill is carpeted with over 300,000 bulbs!

Tucked in the pine trees, you’ll love the peacefulness of the setting and the sight of flowers everywhere. Kids will be intrigued by the old barn, wagon wheels, antique mining equipment and farming tools, as well as the lambs, chickens and pea-fowl that wander the grounds.

The hill is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily when at least a quarter of the flowers are in bloom, usually mid-March until mid-April. Admission and parking are free. For directions and more information, visit www.AmadorCountyChamber.com or call (209) 296-7048.

Extra-Fun Days!

March 14-15: Dandelion Days in Downtown Jackson
This annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration offers an outdoor market, plus tons of fun for kids and parents.

April 12: Easter Egg Hunt at Amador Flower Farm
Join the Easter Bunny at 1 pm on Easter Sunday in the daylily growing grounds.