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SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — If you saw the blooms in the Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park on Wednesday, you wouldn’t have guessed that we’re still enjoying a San Diego winter.

The garden, built in 1915 for the Panama-California Expo, is a symbol of friendship between San Diego and it’s Japanese sister city, Yokohama. 

Each rock, pathway and waterfall planned meticulously to follow the standards of a traditional Japanese garden.

"As you walk through, there are no straight lines. You can't see every shore, there's always something new to discover as you walk through the garden." said Fernando Ramirez, the Visitor Services Coordinator for the garden.

The usual quiet of a babbling stream, chirping birds or whistling wind. Punctuated by visitors eager to see the garden in full bloom. 

The cherry blossoms bloom in San Diego a lot earlier than anywhere else in the country due to our climate, but that also means they'll shed their buds a lot sooner.

"They started about three weeks ago," said Ramirez. "We're going to have about another week of blossoms and then it just gets too hot and they start to fall."

Ramirez says that March, April and May are by far the busiest months for the garden. While the cherry blossoms are a beautiful sight, he says the garden can offer visitors much more. 

A chance to walk down the curved paths, enjoy the aroma of blooming flowers and an opportunity to reflect.

"A lot of people come here as a place to heal, as a place to relax," said Ramirez. "When you stop, pause our busy lives to just enjoy a little bit of it. You realize, wow, okay, all my problems aren't so big."

The Japanese Friendship Garden is open from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. everyday and general admission is $12.  

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