The cherry trees are at their peak bloom right now in San Francisco’s Japanese Tea Garden, and if you want to see them, don’t delay, as their bloom season is very brief.
According to Brendan Lange, spokesperson for the Gardens of Golden Gate Park, “the time is now, and we expect this to be the final weekend of peak season.”
“We do anticipate the double-flowered Kwanzan cherries will help to extend the bloom season into early April,” he said.
Blossom updates can be found on the garden’s social media channels.
Cherry blossom time, known as sakura season in Japanese culture, at the Japanese Tea Garden is when this quiet, secluded park bursts out in clouds of delicate pink or white blossoms, offering visitors the chance to say farewell to winter and enjoy the beautiful but fleeting welcome to the season of renewal.
The Japanese Tea Garden is home to 60 cherry trees, primarily Yoshino cherries (Prunus × yedoensis, mostly ‘Akebono’), along with Kwanzan cherries and Prunus serrulata ‘Mount Fuji.’
“Yoshino cherries are typically the first to bloom, creating a soft, snowy canopy of pale pink-tinged white flowers and are followed by the richer pink double-flowered Kwanzan cherries, extending the bloom season into spring,” Lange said.
The Japanese Tea Garden, he adds, “offers one of the most exquisite settings in San Francisco to enjoy cherry blossoms, inviting visitors to stroll among pruned pines, serene ponds and historic pathways while experiencing the ephemeral blush of spring.”
It’s a time when one can gently recognize, or even embrace, the Japanese philosophy of mono no aware — a bittersweet appreciation of impermanence.
It’s also a time for hanami, when friends and family celebrate the season by gathering under delicate cherry blossom petals for picnics and parties.
And gatherings held in the evenings, often in parks illuminated by lanterns, are called yozakura.
While there are no official hanami or yozakura events planned at the Japanese Tea Garden, there are other appealing highlights to enjoy in the oldest operating public Japanese garden in North America, such as a large 18th-century Buddha, a dry landscape garden, a pagoda, a gift shop and the beloved arched pedestrian bridge and teahouse where visitors can enjoy their own teahouse-style hanami.
Optional teahouse treats available for purchase include four Japanese teas, an iced Japanese tea, matcha, plates of savory crackers and vegetables or teahouse cookies, along with udon, miso soup, vegetarian soup, edamame, vegan and gluten-free mochi and other desserts. Prices start at $4.25.
San Francisco’s Japanese Tea Garden is a great place to see cherry blossoms. (Photo by Saxon Holt)
Tickets to the Japanese Tea Garden during sakura season must be reserved in advance and are on a timed-entry basis, giving visitors a 60-minute window of time from the assigned entry time.
Once inside the garden, visitors are allowed to spend as much time as they like until closing.
Lange offers his best tips for visiting.
“Parking, like visiting, is easiest on weekdays and earlier or later in the day,” he said. “For the quietest experience, guests are encouraged to visit early on Tuesday or Thursday mornings when the garden opens at 9 a.m. Light rain can also provide a particularly peaceful and atmospheric viewing.”
• Details: The Japanese Tea Garden is at 75 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive in San Francisco; it’s open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, with the last ticket entry at 5:30 p.m. Admission is $16 to $18, with discounts available for youth (free to $7) and seniors ($7). A Gardens Pass (free to $25) allows unlimited visits over three days to the Japanese Tea Garden, Conservatory of Flowers and San Francisco Botanical Garden.
More information at gggp.org/cherryblossoms.
From the garden to your door
Monrovia, the nation’s largest grower of premium shrubs, trees and perennials, celebrates its big centennial this year.
Besides highlighting a collection of plants called “landscape legends” and introducing Centennial Ruby Hydrangea to mark its 100th anniversary, Monrovia has launched its new shipping option at monrovia.com.
Now, many of the plants you might see — and continue to see — at local nurseries like Sloat Garden Center, West End Nursery and SummerWinds Nursery will also be offered online and shipped directly to you from Oregon-based Monrovia. Deliveries are free for orders over $100.
“One of the top comments we hear from home gardeners is frustration over not being able to find that certain plant they really want in their landscape,” said Katie Tamony, chief marketing officer and plant expert at Monrovia. “We know garden centers can’t carry everything. ShopMonrovia Direct gives everyone the opportunity to find that perfect plant.
“But, if you’re interested in shopping locally or need the best gardening advice for your area, look for Monrovia’s distinctive green pots at your local independent garden center or Lowe’s store.”
Free online resources at Monrovia.com include a plant finder tool, garden planning guides, container planting guides and inspirational webinars.
Show off
If you have a beautiful or interesting Marin garden or a newly designed Marin home, I’d love to know about it.
Please send an email describing either one (or both), what you love most about it and a photograph or two. I will post the best ones in upcoming columns. Your name will be published, and you must be over 18 years old and a Marin resident.
Don’t-miss event
• West Marin radio station KWMR will present a live broadcast taping of “Cultivating Place” at 3 p.m. April 12 at the Dance Palace at 503 B St. in Point Reyes Station. The conversation, a fundraiser for KWMR, will be between host Jennifer Jewell and seed conservationist Rebecca Newburn. A community seed exchange will be held at 2 p.m. Tickets are on a sliding scale from $10 to $50. Go to kwmr.org.
PJ Bremier writes on home, garden, design and entertaining topics every Saturday. She may be contacted at P.O. Box 412, Kentfield 94914, or at pj@pjbremier.com.