(Photography: Jenny Dillon)
Spring is now sneaking through the final, desperate blasts of winter, defying the chill and the rain with a spectacular display of showy pink at the Auburn Botanic Gardens in western Sydney. All this week, until Sunday, August 24, the Auburn Cherry Blossom Festival – with more than 200 flowering cherry trees – is more than just a breathtaking seasonal marvel – it’s also a celebration of renewal.
It’s early in the morning when I visit and I’m wearing my warmest winter coat, scarf and woolly hat, yet the cherry trees are bare of foliage, defying the cold as they push out their blossoms that sparkle in the crisp air.
The masses of fragrant, double rose-pink flowers herald the warmer days ahead, and are followed by red-purple, oval-shaped leaves that become bronze-green in summer.
So they’re putting on clothes just as I and the rest of Australia are taking them off.
The Cherry Blossom Trail is located within the National Trust registered garden’s traditional-style Japanese Garden and I follow the meandering paths – trying not to step on the mosaic of pink confetti-like petals – around the large Reflection Pool.
But don’t expect to return to the park to pick ripe cherries for your Christmas table – this cheery tree (botanically it’s a plum tree, but is commonly known as cherry), Prunus × blireana, is a hybrid so it doesn’t produce fruit.
The festival includes stalls selling Japanese fusion food, a Sakura Stage with high-energy Taiko drumming, traditional Japanese dance and Ikebana floral art.
Is it free to enter Auburn Botanic Gardens?
For Cumberland residents, admission is free (proof of address and photo ID is required). Adults (17+) are $16.60, children (5-16 years old) are $8.95, and children below 4 years are free.
