Early crowds meet the cherry blossoms

One week before the Brooklyn Botanical Garden's Sakura Matsuri 2007 festival, New Yorkers already crowded the grounds to view magnolias and cherry blossoms. Although global warming has been blamed by some for early blooming in Japan and other parts of the world this year, Brooklyn cherry trees appear to be right on time for the festival. Keep track of the best time to visit the garden using the Cherry Watch blossom status map.