The National Cherry Blossom Festival runs from March 20 through April 14, but you don’t have to go into D.C. to see the heralds of spring. Here are a few places in Montgomery County to get your petal fix:
Kenwood (Bethesda and Chevy Chase)
About 1,200 Yoshino cherry trees—the same kind that bloom around the Tidal Basin—line the streets of the neighborhood. They were planted by a developer in the 1930s to draw residents to the community. The display has become popular for blossom viewers, so go early in the morning to avoid crowds. Parking is not allowed in the neighborhood, so find a space at a garage in downtown Bethesda, grab a cup of coffee to go, and walk the Capital Crescent Trail to access Kenwood on foot. Kenwood and Dorset avenues and Kennedy Drive provide some of the best viewing.
Glenview Mansion (Rockville)
The driveway leading to the 1926 Neo-Classical Revival mansion in Rockville Civic Center Park is lined with Kwanzan cherry trees that sprout fluffy, double pink blooms about a week later than the Yoshino variety. The formal gardens behind the mansion are home to more cherry trees, including the delicate white-petaled Yoshinos. Parking is usually plentiful, and picnics are welcome on the public grounds, but check the website before heading there to make sure it isn’t closed for a private event. rockvillemd.gov/389/glenview-mansion
Brookside Gardens (Wheaton)
Walk the paved trail through the gardens and you’ll see more than 60 flowering cherry trees, including several particularly beautiful weeping varieties. Just over half of the cherry trees, comprising 10 different types, are rooted among the hills and ponds in the Japanese-style Gude Garden. The rest are planted throughout the grounds. There is ample parking at Brookside Gardens, but food and beverages aren’t permitted. Picnic facilities are available nearby in the Shorefield Area of Wheaton Regional Park. montgomeryparks.org
This story appears in the March/April issue of Bethesda Magazine.