As cherry blossom season begins, Montgomery Parks is encouraging residents to explore blooms closer to home using its online cherry tree map, which highlights locations across dozens of local parks, trails, and gardens throughout the county.

The interactive map pinpoints where flowering trees can be found and identifies them by species and cultivar, including Yoshino, Higan, and Okame. With trees spread across the county, officials say residents can avoid the crowds typically seen at the Tidal Basin while still enjoying peak spring color.

“We are right on the cusp of cherry blossom season in Montgomery County,” said Josh Demers, senior horticulturist at Montgomery Parks. “Our peak bloom typically arrives a few days to a week after the Tidal Basin. Downtown trees sit in a warmer pocket created by dense buildings and pavement. Here, spring takes its time—that means we expect our buds to start popping open in the first week of April this year.”

Brookside Gardens stands out as one of the top viewing destinations, featuring 71 cherry trees in its Japanese-inspired Gude Garden, including 23 that were added last fall. Other parks with notable concentrations of cherry trees include Martin Luther King Jr. Recreational Park and South Germantown Recreational Park. Additional viewing spots with strong tree density can be found at Kemp Mill Urban Park in Wheaton, Leland Neighborhood Park in Chevy Chase, and Sligo Avenue Neighborhood Park in Silver Spring.

Unlike the Tidal Basin, where peak bloom is relatively short-lived, Montgomery Parks’ variety of cherry tree species allows for an extended viewing season. Different trees bloom at different times, creating waves of color that can last for several weeks.

“Montgomery Parks cherry blossom season isn’t a single moment, it’s a whole stretch of spring,” said Drew Asbury, horticulturist at Brookside Gardens. “Different varieties take turns blooming so you can catch a fresh wave of color week after week. The best plan is to visit your local park often and watch the landscape change.”

A new independent bookstore has officially opened its doors in Gaithersburg, bringing a fresh literary space to the Kentlands community.

The Paper Heart Bookstore is now open on the second floor at 200 Main Street, with its entrance located next to Grilled Oyster Co.. The shop recently celebrated its soft opening and is currently operating with limited hours as it ramps up operations.

Located in the Kentlands, the shop aims to serve as a neighborhood destination for readers, offering a curated selection of books across genres along with pre-orders and community engagement opportunities. 

For now, The Paper Heart Bookstore is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10am to 5pm, and closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. A grand opening and additional events are expected in the near future as the store continues to establish itself.

With Brian Nathan’s victory certified, Democrats won two of three state legislative races in this month’s special elections, all in Republican-leaning districts.

The personal-finance company WalletHub today released its report on 2026’s Healthiest Cities in America to show where people are saving and costing themselves the most money. Washington DC came in ranked 6th in the nation.

WalletHub compared more than 180 of the largest U.S. cities across 41 key metrics. The data set ranges from the cost of a medical visit to fruit and vegetable consumption to the share of physically active adults.

Healthiest Cities	Unhealthiest Cities
1. San Francisco, CA	173. Memphis, TN
2. San Diego, CA	174. Montgomery, AL
3. Seattle, WA	175. Corpus Christi, TX
4. Salt Lake City, UT	176. Toledo, OH
5. Portland, OR	177. Huntington, WV
6. Washington, DC	178. Fort Smith, AR
7. Denver, CO	179. Shreveport, LA
8. Honolulu, HI	180. Laredo, TX
9. Austin, TX	181. Gulfport, MS
10. Scottsdale, AZ	182. Brownsville, TX

Key Stats Across the Country

• Washington DC has high rankings in the food (10th overall) and fitness (5th overall) categories. The city’s lowest ranking comes in the Health Care category (56th overall)
• Overland Park, Kansas, has the lowest share of physically unhealthy adults, which is two times lower than in Huntington, West Virginia, the city with the highest.
• Augusta, Georgia, has the lowest cost per doctor’s visit, which is 2.9 times less expensive than in Juneau, Alaska, the city with the highest.
• Portland, Maine, has the lowest share of adults eating fruits less than once daily, which is 1.6 times lower than in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the city with the highest.
• Columbus, Georgia, has the lowest average monthly cost for a fitness-club membership, which is 15.7 times less expensive than in New York, the city with the highest.

To view the full report and your city’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/healthiest-cities/31072

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