Cherry blossom 2013

It was a bit late to enjoy the cherry blossom this spring as in most places the bloom period has come and gone, lasting less than a fortnight. It's nice to see some still in bloom at Commonwealth Park in Canberra when I visited the Capital last weekend. 

Enjoy the cherry blossom ..

Cherry Blossom Festival 2012

A quick post from the Cherry Blossom Festival at Auburn Japanese Garden, the festival is on for this weekend (18-19 of August) and next weekend (25-26 of August) only from 12pm - 4 pm.

I happened to visit the garden for a quick look this morning and only a few photos were taken. 

Updated with some more photos taken around Blue Mountain

Sakura Matsuri 2011

Updating my previous post with some photos taken today, the last day of Cherry blossoms festival at Auburn Japanese Garden. 

(Two food stalls selling Takoyaki and Yakitori)

Cherry Blossom Festival 2011

Spring is just around the corner! Sakura season is on!
If you live in Sydney here are two Cherry Blossoms Festival you shouldn't miss:

1. Cherry Blossom Festival at Auburn's Japanese garden, Chiswick Road-Auburn.
     When : 21 August - 28 August 2011.

2. Sakura Masturi at Cowra Japanese Garden, Cowra.
    When : 24 September 2011.

Cherry blossoms

Cherry blossoms or Sakura represents spring, in Japan a wide variety of Sakura can be found (believed to be more than 200 varieties) and the most popular variety is Somei Yoshino with pure white petals and tinged with the palest pink, especially near the stem.

This spring somehow I couldn't make my way to the Sakura Matsuri at Cowra Japanese Garden being held this weekend on September 25-26, but I did take some sakura's shots around Katoomba and Leura in the Blue Mountain region.

Here are some of them..

Spring!

Spring has come! It' my favorite season of the year even I don't like its gusty wind. I always looking forward to the blooming cherry blossom and the tulip time so for you who are looking forward to it here are some festivals worth a visit during this spring in Australia.

1. Floriade, Australia's biggest flower festival set up in Canberra from Saturday 11 September to Sunday 10 October 2010.

2. Tulip Time. This year will be a celebration of 50 golden years of Tulip Time in Bowral's Corbett Garden in the Southern Highlands of NSW, from Tuesday 21 September to Monday 4 October 2010.

3. Sakura Matsuri Festival on the weekend of Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 September 2010. In its 21st year at the Cowra Japanese Garden, Sakura Matsuri has developed into a showcase of Japanese arts, crafts and cultural activities. Even if you are not into Japanese culture but if you do love enjoying the beautiful cherry blossoms you shouldn't miss this much loved festival in a beautiful country town of Cowra.

Spring two years ago, I made my way to the Sakura Matsuri and hopefully this year I'll have a chance to go back there.

(Cowra Japanese Garden)

(A Tokyo Geisha show)

Hanami

Hanami literally means 'flower viewing', it's a Japanese custom of enjoying the beauty of blooming flowers in spring, in this case almost always meaning sakura or cherry blossom and believed to have started during Nara Periode (710-794).

Today, the Japanese people continue the tradition of hanami, gathering in great numbers wherever the flowering trees are found. Thousands of people fill the parks to hold feasts under sakura trees, and sometimes these parties go on until late at night. Hanami at night is called 'Yozakura' (literally means night sakura). The teasing proverb 'Hana Yori Dango' (dumplings rather than flower) meaning that people are more interested in the food and drinks that accompany a hanami party rather than actually viewing the flowers themselves.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Last weekend we drove for about one and half hours from the city to visit Golden Wheel Garden in Galston. There are some varieties of cherry blossom trees in this garden, relatively smaller than the ones in Japan and the flowers are slightly different from what they called sakura in Japan but the beauty of cherry blossom in full bloom is really worth a visit.

(kinda wind chime?)

Sakura Matsuri

Arriving in Cowra at 10 PM Friday night after 5 hours ride from Sydney by Countrylink service, check in small hotel just right in the town centre and threw my self onto the bed straight away. The next day, it was a beautiful day at the18th Annual Sakura Matsuri (Cherry Blossom Festival) at Cowra Japanesee Garden. This 5 hectares garden designed by Mr. Ken Nakajima claimed to be The Largest Japanese Garden in the southern hemisphere. Some great performances such as Tea Ceremony, Bonsai and Ikebana demonstration, Origami & Calligraphy, Samurai & Karate demonstration, Wine and Sake testing and Geisha dances entertained the folks for almost the whole day. It was my first time to enjoy the live Geisha performance, and it was really beautiful dances by 5 authentic Geisha from Japan. A quick visit to Windorie winery on my way back to the hotel in the afternoon to try the Sakura Shiraz wine.

Cherry blossom at Golden Wheel Garden

Spring time! My favorite season of the year, a season when you can see beautiful flowers blooming..

It took about one and half hours from the city to The Golden Wheel Buddhist Garden to see The Cherry blossoms. This garden located at 405 Galston Road, Galston in hills district. The garden open for public on some occasions like Chinese New Year and some others Buddhist related event, but for cherry blossom viewing they only open for two days a year.

The cherry blossom (Sakura) is a well-known Japan symbol and unofficial national flower. Japanese people celebrate the blooming season with Hanami which means cherry blossom viewing. There are many varieties of Sakura in Japan and some of them bloom only for couple days in spring time.

The cherry blossom trees in this garden are not as big as the ones in Japan but still worth a view. They also have some other varieties of plants like tangerine trees and Buddha’s hand fruit. The one that really grabbed my attention is one small tangerine tree that has tangerine, lemon and lime fruits on the same tree! It’s quite a unique tree I’ve ever seen.