Spring begins this Sunday and what better way to celebrate the change in seasons than to get outside and participate in the Descanso Gardens’ new, Japanese-themed Cherry Blossom Festival. With all the tragic news coming out of Japan on a daily basis related to the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear power plant disaster, this event is a lovely way to focus on Japanese culture and learn about traditions that have given strength to the Japanese people for hundreds of years. Visiting a beautiful garden may also allow participants to sooth anxieties that many of us are feeling as all our thoughts are with the victims of this ongoing disaster.