Spring is in the air

Virginia is the best place to experience cherry blossoms in full bloom. They are symbolic of hope and renewal

Spring in historic Colonial Williamsburg

 Meadowlark Botanical Gardens. PHOTO By Patrick Lennon

Beautiful blooms, flowering trees, and sparkling sunshine are just the beginning of what you can expect from a spring visit to Virginia. The state is known for its historic homes with gorgeous gardens, and spring is when they go on display. Not as well known is that Virginia is an ideal spot to view the region’s colourful annual cherry blossoms in their full glory.

The National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC is not the only place in the United States to view spectacular cherry blossoms in the early spring. Just across the Potomac River in Virginia, several sites offer stunning blooms with fewer milling crowds. Garden tours at such locations as River Farm in Alexandria, the 25-acre plot that once was part of George Washington’s vast property, or Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna, with its roughly 100 cherry trees made up of over 20 unique varieties, offer a convenient way to witness the capital region’s floral grandeur.

Visitors can also take to the water to view the show. The Cherry Blossom Monuments Cruise sets sail from Alexandria, Virginia, offering spectacular views of the blooms on both sides of the river, or you can take a water taxi from Alexandria to the National Mall and avoid the traffic congestion.

History comes alive with colour

Since 1929, the Garden Club of Virginia has hosted the Historic Garden Week. The inspiration dates to 1927 when a flower show organised by Garden Club volunteers raised $7,000 to save trees at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. Now, for one week in April every year, visitors are invited to tour-inspired private landscapes, public gardens and historic sites across Virginia and enjoy the Commonwealth at the peak of springtime blooming. Proceeds from the tours fund the restoration and preservation of Virginia’s significant historic public gardens, so the beauty can be appreciated throughout the year.

The Garden Club members also create more than 2,000 floral arrangements every year to enhance the tour sites, which span from the foothills of the Shenandoah Valley all the way to the beaches of the Bay, allowing visitors to take in the spectacular spring blooms no matter what part of Virginia they visit.

Embrace Spring

Every year, in celebration of cherry blossom season, attractions throughout Virginia offer up ways to embrace the joy of spring with more than just your eyes. From cherry blossom cocktails and cider to cherry blossom gelato and cherry, jalapeño and prosciutto flatbread, Alexandria restaurants truly capture the celebration by offering a variety of tasty cherry-themed treats.

In normal years, when Covid-19 is not a safety concern, traditional afternoon teas are also part of the offerings of the Historic Garden Week. The teas are a special attraction as they take place at historic locations and are only available during the garden week. Other locations offer learning options with spring themes. Programmes include offerings like The Science Behind the Flowers at the Children’s Science Centre, which this year was streamed online or Plants & Design: A Japanese Garden Virtual Programme with Green Spring Gardens, teaching the essentials for creating a Japanese-style garden which was also available online this year.

Hike up

The past year made us all appreciate the time spent in the great outdoors. Many have taken to hiking as an easy, no-frills way to explore nature without having to learn a new sport. Virginia offers a wide array of hiking options, varying from short and simple to multi-day challenges, and spring is a lovely time to hit the trails.

Some of the hikes are perfect for visitors who don’t have a ton of time or just need to learn the lay of the land before taking on a greater Virginia challenge — like the world-famous Appalachian Trail.

As spring makes way for summer, head up any Appalachian mountain trail in May and June and you will be rewarded with gorgeous Mountain Laurel blooms. This native evergreen shrub can put on a spectacular display of fragrant showy flowers in either white or pale pink. Even the balloon-like buds are a sight to behold! You’ll also find Azaleas and Rhododendrons from May into July at varying elevations throughout Virginia.

Their spectacular flowers come in a wide range of shapes and colours but all have one thing in common — the beauty they bring to the beholder!