By Chris Stone
Washington visitors were crushed last week when the National Cherry Blossom Festival was doomed by a late-winter ice storm. But San Diegans can savor their own explosion of the delicate flowers.
At the Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park, visitors on Free Tuesday (for San Diego County residents only) were treated to near peak blossoms on the more than 100 cherry trees.
A park gardener said the pink-and-white flowers could be hanging in there for at least another week. The garden entrance is just north of the Organ Pavilion.
Rain was expected Tuesday night and Wednesday, but if winds aren’t strong, there may be more viewing ahead. Sunshine is expected to return Thursday afternoon, according to the National Weather service. High winds are not predicted for the upcoming storm.
General admission is $10. Students, military members and seniors (65+) pay $8, and children 6 and younger are free. The garden, compeleted in phases, first opened in 1991. Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
Upcoming events include a San Diego Potters’ Guild exhibit from 2:30 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 15, including a live pottery demonstration, and the Edo Marionette Puppet Theater from 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday, April 30. The exhibit is free with garden admission.
The garden is a symbol of friendship between San Diego and its sister city, Yokohama. The garden’s design is based on centuries-old Japanese techniques adapted to San Diego’s climate and florae and seeks to foster a relationship between humans and nature, according to the garden’s website.
