Hues of Hokkaido May 13, 2021

Hues of Hokkaido

The Japanese prefecture of Hokkaido is known the world over as a winter wonderland. But once the snow melts, it"s not long before the northerly island becomes a summery extravaganza of color. Just outside the town of Biei in central Hokkaido"s hilly highlands, gardeners cultivate a rainbow blanket of tulips, lupine, marigolds, dahlias, and many more flowering plants. So wide is the assortment here at Shikisai no Oka (meaning "Hills of Seasonal Colors") that if you visit between April and October, you"re sure to find at least one type of flower in full bloom.

© Tanya Jones/Shutterstock

palette

Today in History

May 13, 2018Happy Mother’s Day
May 13, 2019In praise of bogs, swamps, and marshes
May 13, 2020Of moose and Maine
May 13, 2023World Migratory Bird Day
May 13, 2024Fish River Canyon, Namibia
May 13, 2025Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia, Chile

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Sep 20, 2021Birds of a feather flocking together
Apr 29, 2024Fujian Tulou, China
Apr 4, 2020In the path of the pronghorn
Apr 30, 2019It s International Jazz Day
Dec 16, 2025Handmade gnomes at a Christmas market
Jul 12, 2019The ‘Night of Nights’
Apr 9, 2021A timeless view of the night sky
Sep 26, 2021World Rivers Day
Jan 22, 2026Karlovy Vary, Bohemia, Czechia
May 20, 2018Who doesn’t love a ‘Puppy’?
Apr 20, 2024National Park Week begins
Nov 26, 2019Staring down winter
Sep 24, 2023World Rivers Day
Apr 30, 2021The Spirit of Harlem by Louis Delsarte
Sep 28, 2025The town of Pienza in Tuscany, Italy
Sep 9, 2024Iguazu Falls at the border of Argentina and Brazil
Mar 17, 2023St. Patricks Day in County Waterford, Ireland
Apr 8, 2019Ready, set, read
Mar 5, 2022Mont-Saint-Michel
Nov 4, 2018And they’re off!
Jun 20, 2022Pollinator Week
Aug 15, 2023Piazza IX Aprile, Taormina, Sicily, Italy
Nov 13, 2018Autumn’s swan song
Mar 13, 2026Church of Notre Dame de Bon-Port, Les Sables-dOlonne, France
Mar 1, 2023Womens History Month
Oct 16, 2025A Eurasian lynx in Siberia
May 1, 2025Lei Day in Hawaii
Oct 5, 2021A day to celebrate teachers
Mar 21, 2021A glimpse of the Blue Forest
Feb 11, 2020Celebrating women in science