Social media and the internet loses their minds for fall.
There are charts that track when peak leaf peeping will happen. There are specialty drinks, the hats and scarves come out.
Almost every post in the month of October has something to do with leaves.
We all know the drill. Come September, our feeds transform into an endless scroll of:
"It's finally sweater weather, besties!" captioning photos of people frolicking in pumpkin patches.
"Nature's showing off today" accompanying the fifteenth nearly identical shot of red and orange trees.
"This crisp air is everything" paired with videos of boots crunching through fallen leaves.
The fall aesthetic has its own vocabulary: cozy, hygge, flannel, PSL. Fall leaf peeping has become an established cultural ritual, complete with travel guides, peak foliage trackers, and dedicated hashtags that garner millions of posts.
But I’ve been on the socials awhile and meanwhile, spring blooms arrive with considerably less fanfare. Sure, cherry blossom season gets its moment, but the brief explosion of diverse florals deserves the same level of coordinated appreciation that autumn receives.
Spring peek petal peeping offers everything fall leaf peeping does, but with a fresh twist:
Instead of earth tones, you get vibrant pinks, purples, yellows, and whites dotting landscapes like nature's confetti.
Rather than the melancholy of things ending, you experience the optimism of new beginnings.
Where fall offers crisp air and crunchy leaves, spring delivers fragrant breezes and the satisfying squish of rain-softened earth.
To me it is also one of the most magical times of the year- it’s the literal defrosting of the earth but gets zero social cred.
I was never a big spring person until I moved to Portland and now spring is ingrained in me. Portland in the spring literally everything is pink, purple, yellow, orange and white. It’s like a magical land of pink snow petal covered sidewalks and yards when the wind blows.
Btw- what are petals even made of anyway?
I didn’t have much hope for how Colorado would look in the spring, but since moving here I have been pleasantly surprised. So much so that I decided to grab a cherry hot cocoa and take a walk around Ft. Collins for some peak blossom browsing.
I’m trying to make blossom browsing happen- to elevate spring peek petal peeping to its rightful cultural status, we need the same level of commitment that autumn enthusiasts bring:
Document the ephemeral beauty of spring blooms with the same reverence reserved for turning leaves.
Develop our own vocabulary: "bloom basking," "petal pursuits," or "blossom browsing."
Create seasonal traditions: flower crown picnics, botanical garden tours, and neighborhood flower hikes.
Embrace spring's version of cozy—think lightweight cardigans, floral prints, and botanical-infused beverages.
What makes fall leaf peeping so appealing to content creators is its perceived authenticity—connecting with nature, slowing down, appreciating simple pleasures. Spring peek petal peeping offers these same values but without the oversaturation.
While everyone and their pumpkin-spiced grandmother heads to the same Vermont byways or Rocky Mountain overlooks, you could be pioneering routes through Texas bluebonnet fields or admiring neighborhood crab apple and tulip studded garden beds from the sidewalk.
Fall leaf peeping isn't going anywhere, nor should it. But spring deserves its moment too. So while the autumn enthusiasts pack away their flannel until next September, I'll be here mapping out bloom schedules, crafting the perfect spring peek petal peeping playlist, and waiting for the day when "spring girlies" flood our feeds with the same enthusiasm as their fall counterparts.
Who's with me? The petals are peeping, and they're waiting for you to notice. Let’s make blossom browsing happen on social.