It is cherry blossom season around my neighborhood and things are looking bea-u-ti-ful! I love these trees whose delicate flowering blooms last such a short time (roughly one week to 10 days). In honor of these beauties, here are some fun facts and a couple of California gardens where you can enjoy them.

Facts:

• Macon, Georgia, is known as the Cherry Blossom Capital of the World (and you thought it was Japan…or maybe Washington, D.C.).
• Bath and Body Works’ Japanese Cherry Blossom was the number-one fragrance in the United States for 2016 – what will 2017 bring?
• The blooms change colors from a dark pink bud to a paler pink blossom to finally a white (or very light pink) before they say “goodbye” until next year. This beautiful color change is in stark contrast to my flowers that seem to hang on valiantly for a week or so before I either a) drown them with watery love or b) forget they are there until no amount of water resuscitation will bring them back.

Gardens:

• Two of the best places to wander among the Cherry Trees near Los Angeles are The Huntington Library, Museum, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino and the Descanso Gardens in La Canada. They both have created exquisite Japanese Gardens which relax your mind and pamper your senses.

Mother Nature truly is delightful!