Trees are bursting with colour and there's a distinct hum in the air.
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Spring has sprung two weeks earlier than usual and Cowra Japanese Garden manager Justin Smith said the garden's skeletal trees are slowly waking up.
"The plum trees are always one of the first to blossom as a part of the spring bloom. The cherry trees don't come out until late September or early October so we try to time our Cherry Blossom festival to fit with that. Sometimes it's quite difficult depending on the weather we've had," Mr Smith said.
"The last few years spring has been late so hopefully our cherry blossoms will be out at the right time this year. We're in the hands of mother nature I guess."
Richly symbolic, the cherry blossom's mass blooming and short life means the flower is often associated with the ephemeral nature of life and mortality in Japanese culture.
Here, the blossoms only last for 10 to 14 days, depending on the wind. Mr Smith said if we get a couple of windy days towards the end of that period, the blossoms will all blow away.
"We'd like them to hang on a little bit longer than that, but again, it's in the hands of mother nature," Mr Smith said.
"The blossoms signal the beginning of the life cycle of the tree again, as they sprout new leaves and new growth. While the blossoms only last a short time, it's just the start of the tree's life cycle."
Mr Smith said visitor-wise, now is the best time to see the garden, particularly with the Sakura Matsuri Cherry Blossom Festival coming up at the end of the month.
Taiko drums, tai chi and Torsion are just some of the performers which will entertain crowds at the family fun day on September 27, against the backdrop of the flourishing trees.
"This year we're doing a demonstration on zen garden raking which will be run by the gardeners. People can come along and learn how to create a zen garden and have a go at it themselves so that's something a bit different this year," Mr Smith said.
"We've also got about 25 stallholders this year so that will create a bit of interest with all the different products on offer. There'll be plenty for people to do and see and lots of stuff for the kids as well, there'll be a jumping castle, kite flying and making, it should be a good day."
Tickets for the day are $20 for adults, $18 for seniors, $15 for children or $50 for a family.
This year's Sakura Evening will kick off at 6.30pm, with food wine and entertainment. Tickets are $50 and are available at the Cowra Visitors Centre.
For more information on the events, contact Cowra Japanese Garden on 6341 2233 or email info@cowragarden.com.au.