Summer peaks early at Guizhou Plum Garden

Visitors can take photos with deer among the hydrangeas. [Photo/ddcpc website]

The Guizhou Plum Garden in Gui'an New Area, Southwest China's Guizhou province, has entered its peak summer bloom, with a 1,000-mu (66.65 hectares) sea of flowers cascading across the hillsides as 350,000 "Endless Summer" hydrangeas burst into bloom.

This peak viewing window for herbaceous hydrangeas runs from mid-May to mid-June, with the park boasting over 70 varieties that shift into gradients of blue, pink, and light purple depending on soil pH.

Beyond the vast hydrangea fields, the landscape is richly layered with cascading waterfalls, Chinese rose walls, impatiens, and pampas grass.

Inside the park, the year-round sika deer interactive zone allows visitors to feed and take photos with the gentle creatures as they wander through the flowers. For families, the park offers a non-powered amusement park, parent-child DIY crafts, and flower science classes. To round out the leisure and cultural experience, hanfu (traditional Chinese attire) rentals, ancient-style photo backdrops, and a specialty snack market are also available.

After mid-June, woody varieties like "Bella Anna" and "Vanilla Strawberry" hydrangeas will take their turn to bloom, extending the overall hydrangea viewing season through October and ensuring stunning flower fields across both summer and autumn.