PHONE FIRST: Hotlines, despite their oh-so-urgent names, tend to signal something helpful rather than something scary. Need help cooking that roast? Bet there's someone you can ring at all hours of the night. Need help with math homework? Enough looking might net you some digits that can explain why you should multiply fraction in that particular equation. And flowers? We even have hotlines for those. They're not so essential in places where buds bloom all year long, but a scrubbier, more arid location? It's news when springtime arrives and poppies and little purple petals begin to push through the dirt. Hence the Kern County Wildflower Hotline, which is now, shall we say, in full flower, given that mid-March is really when the show gets going.
WHAT'S ON NOW: Apple blossoms are peeking out, says the hotline site, and the citrus trees'll go in April. Question: Is there a nicer smelling bud than an orange blossom? Answer: No. No there is not. But there's a host of less showy but still beautiful blooms going on throughout the county. You know not to pick but just admire -- of course -- and you know to show with your camera. Find out the whens and wheres by calling 661-322-WILD (9453).
