CHERRY BLOSSOMS

In Washington, D.C., the projected peak date for cherry blossoms along the Tidal Basin was pushed back to March 27-31 due to colder temperatures, with the National Cherry Blossom Festival running March 20-April 15. The festival marks the 1912 gift of 3,000 cherry trees from a Tokyo mayor to the U.S. capital city.

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden in New York City also celebrates the blooming of cherry trees that were a gift from the Japanese government. A two-day festival called Sakura Matsuri is planned this year for April 28-29 with some 60 events, including performances by taiko drummers. The garden features a Japanese pond and garden as well as an esplanade lined with some of its 200 cherry trees.

Macon, Georgia, claims to be home to 350,000 cherry trees, a

phenomenon that began with one tree in the backyard of a local businessman in 1949. The trees will be celebrated March 16-25 in what local residents bill as the “pinkest party” on Earth.

In Japan, the cherry trees are expected to begin blooming around March 24 in Tokyo and March 27 in Kyoto, according to a forecast on the Japan National Tourism Organization website.

FLOWER FESTS ELSEWHERE

In Rochester, New York, the annual Lilac Festival is May 11-20. Organizers say the event draws more than 500,000 people to see not just the largest lilac collection in the U.S., but also music and comedy shows, art exhibits, a race and more. Another lilac festival is held on Mackinac Island in Michigan, June 8-17.

Bluebonnet season brings

PETER DEJONG — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE out locals and visitors alike in Texas Hill Country. Typically they bloom the last week of March through April, though as with all flowers, it can be hard to predict. Walt Disney World’s Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival runs through May 28...

BEBETO MATTHEWS — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE Members of the traditional Japanese ensemble Taiko Masala, perform during a preview of the Sakura Matsuri festival at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden in New York.