Sakura Watch, April 9, 2012 - I hope everyone enjoyed their Easter weekend! Seems the Sakura // Cherry Blossoms held up well against the strong winds today and many of the trees are now showing anywhere between 40-60% of blooms! And if the milder temperatures and sunny weather keep up throughout the week, then we could be seeing a full bloom by Wed-Fri this week & weekend!

Where to begin seeing sakura // cherry blossoms in the park? The soccer fields (closest to the High Park Ave & Bloor St W entrance) have been the earliest trees to show blooms. Walking through the park, you can see a number of the white blossom blooming trees scattered throughout the woods along the woods that line the main roadway as you make your way around the park.

The most extensive collection of trees along the winding High Park Trail path near Grenadier Pond is also showing excellent cherry blossom progress with trees also on average 30-50% blooming and a few even closer to 60%!

The main exceptions so far seem to be the group of Sakura // Cherry Blossom trees that line Grenadier Pond and also the second largest collection of trees near the Adventure Playground. So far, these trees are still in the late bud stages and appear to have been slowed down the by cooler temperatures. We'll keep an eye on these over the next few days.

When is the best time to view the sakura // cherry blossoms? Its a guarantee this weekend will be a very, very busy place in High Park! The blooms should be at their peak, and the park will be full of avid blossom viewers. Parking will be crazy both within, and around the park and nearby streets. TTC may be a better option to avoid any potential parking headaches, and you can find a list of routes in the Maps & Directions page. And of course, biking or walking is always an environmental option too.

Beat the crowds and come out during the weekday hours when there are a lot fewer people in the park. The atmosphere will be more relaxed and more accessible to take photos or just enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the sakura //cherry blossoms throughout the park.

Also, keep in mind there are a few locations throughout the park to enjoy the Sakura - see our Map - and check back on our site or facebook page and twitter for the latest updates.