Washington, D.C. - March 25, 2008

Blossoms Up

Cherry Blossom Festival Guide

The cherry blossom festival may not start until Saturday, but the trees are in full bloom now. Why not celebrate by making life a bowl of cherries?

Sweeten the Deal
As beautiful as the blossoms are, you can’t eat ’em. Best off dashing to Buzz (901 Slaters Lane, Alexandria; 703-600-2899) for a cherry blossom treat. The bakery offers cherry-vanilla cupcakes topped with vanilla buttercream and a frosting blossom branch or chocolate cupcakes with pink cherry buttercream.

Kinky Blossoms
The blossoms mean that spring is approaching. Get rid of winter blues with a cherry blossom massage at Willard InterContinental’s I Spa (1401 Pennsylvania Avenue NW; 202-942-2700). The hour-long treatment uses cherry massage oil (blended with organic orange oil, lavender, and rose geranium) to work out kinks from head to toe.

Get It on Paper
Blossoms may come and go, but you can share the pink puffs year-round with R. Nichols’s cherry blossom note cards. Made exclusively for Après Peau (1430 K Street NW; 202-783-0022), the cards depict smooth sailing by the silvery Jefferson Monument and flowering trees — and are the perfect way to taunt friends who live far away.

Juicing It
At the end of the day, kick back with a festive pink Cherry Stone Blossom cocktail at Hank’s Oyster Bar (1624 Q Street NW; 202-462-4265; 1026 King Street, Alexandria; 703-739-4265). Don’t let the color fool you: The tangy shaken martini blends vodka, sake, house-made lemonade, and cherry juice for a potent ode to the bloom.

Worth a Thousand Words
Everyone knows that the Tidal Basin makes a great photo backdrop, so grab a pink camera (Penn Camera has several models) and snap away. If your shots don’t turn out as you’d hoped, pick up a print (or several) from Hankins-Lawrence Images.

For Keeps
You can’t pick the blossoms, but you can bring them home with you in an arrangement from Ultra Violet (1218 31st Street NW; 202-333-3002). Designer Rance Goff sources white and pink blossoms from local farms and pairs them with peonies, lilacs, and hydrangeas for bouquets of seasonal splendor.

The Cherry Blossom Festival runs March 29-April 13. The best blossoms can be seen at the Tidal Basin and in Bethesda’s Kenwood neighborhood.