Time to love those cherry blossoms

It’s time to stop and notice the cherry blossoms. That’s the message the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival is trying to get across this month.

The month-long festival started March 30 and run to the end of April. It’s a wonderful opportunity for all of us to pause and take notice of the glorious cherry blossoms blooming all over the Lower Mainland.

To find out about all the events planned – bike rides, walks, talks, picnics, night light shows as well as the core event, Japan Fair at VanDusen Botanical Garden – check out the details at the festival’s official website at www.vcbf.ca.

There are dozens of different cultivars of cherry tree planted along streets and in parks and private gardens – 54 at last count.

The first to bloom are Whitcomb and then come Accolade and Akebono types, quickly followed by favourites such as Shirofugen, Takasago, Ukon and Kanzan.

One of the most fun things to do is gather a group of friends and picnic under the cherry blossoms. This is called “hanami” in Japan which means “flower viewing.”

In Japan, the custom is for people to sit on a blanket or tarp, but the participants always take off their shoes before walking on the blanket.

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