Blooming in St. Louis

Even though the National Cherry Blossom Festival is well under way here in Washington, D.C., that doesn’t mean it’s the only place to spot the famous pink and white trees. I just got back from a weekend in St. Louis and made a stop at the Missouri Botanical Garden, where over 150 cherry trees are in full bloom. The trees are dotted around the 14-acre Japanese strolling garden, the largest in the Western hemisphere. Walk the path along the four-acre lake and make sure to stop on the bridge to feed the giant koi (25 cents buys a handful of fish food).

The Japanese garden isn’t the only reason to visit the Botanical Gardens. The 79-acre park has heaps to do, from visiting the Climatron, which houses some 1,200 tropical plants, to the temperate garden (above) to the Victorian District (complete with a maze), and the Children’s Garden, which has lots of hands-on activities for kids.

The Missouri Botanical Garden is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Photo: Jeannette Kimmel