The Honorable Dr. David Lam at Sakura Day for the dedication of the new Honorable David C. Lam Cherry Grove

Date: Thursday April 3, 2008
Time: 10:00am - noon
Location: VanDusen Botanical Garden

VanDusen Botanical Garden is delighted to announce the creation of a new Cherry Grove of Japanese flowering cherries to enhance the upper Great Lawn.

The Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival and VanDusen Botanical Garden will celebrate this event with a full days activities and will feature some of the cultural arts of Japan beginning with a demonstration by the Vancouver branch of Sogetsu Ikebana in The Glass House, providing a mini-workshop on the art of how to set branch material.

10 - 10:30 a.m.
Ikebana Demonstration presented by the Vancouver Branch of Sogetsu Ikebana in The Glass House at Vancouver Botanical Garden. Presented in conjunction with the VanDusen Botanical Garden

10:30 – 10:45 a.m.
Traditional Song and Dance by Maiko Dancers of the Otowa Ryu School and choral performance of the traditional folk song Sakura, Sakura by N Chorus in the Bentall Garden. Presented in conjunction with the VanDusen Botanical Garden N Chorus will sing the age-old “Sakura Folk Song” in The Bentall Garden and kimono-clad Maiko Dancers of the Otowa Ryu School will perform the “Cherry Blossom Dance”

10:45 - 11:30 a.m.
Sakura Day, Tree Planting Dedication presented in conjunction with VanDusen Botanical Garden - the official tree planting dedication of the new Cherry Grove will be presided over by the Japanese Consul General Seiichi Otsuka and dedicated to the Honourable David Lam – a gardener with a life-long passion for the cherry tree. Vancouver’s inaugural poet laureate, George McWhirter, will read the 2008 Haiku Invitational winners and unveil the new Haiku Rock – a permanent stone monument engraved with 3 years of the festival’s winning haiku. Urasenke Vancouver will present the traditional tea ceremony on a first come first serve basis in The Glass House. The Festival’s “Team Sakura” will be available to answer questions about the horticulture of the more than 25 cultivars of cherry trees found in Vancouver. The Honorable David C. Lam Cherry Grove is a beautiful gift to future generations – a place for everyone to enjoy the blossoms and picnic under the cherry tree’s inviting canopy.

11:30 – Noon
Japanese Tea Ceremony presented by Urasenke Vancouver in conjunction with the VanDusen Botanical Garden. will be presented in The Glass House to close this celebration. Please join us for a ceremonial cup of tea. First come forst serve. Space will be limited.

" The beauty of flowering cherry trees transcends class and race and touches the souls of all people".

Wybe Kuitert, author, Japanese Flowering Cherries