In an exciting development for Toronto's springtime spectacle, city officials have announced that the cherished cherry blossoms in High Park will now bloom for an additional three weeks, extending the viewing pleasure for thousands of residents and visitors.

This remarkable achievement has been made possible through the introduction of a new gardening spray, developed by a team of botanists and horticulturalists at the University of Guelph, which safely prolongs the flowers' bloom without harming the trees or the surrounding environment.

The High Park cherry blossoms, a gift from Japan in the 1950s, have become a symbol of beauty, renewal, and the fleeting nature of life.

Traditionally, these delicate blooms grace the city with their presence for only a week or two in late April or early May, drawing crowds who wish to experience the phenomenon of sakura hanami, or cherry blossom viewing, a cherished tradition in Japanese culture.

However, the briefness of the bloom has often left many unable to witness this natural wonder due to timing or adverse weather conditions.

The new spray, aptly named "BlossomExtend," works by slowing down the blossoms' natural maturation process, extending their life span without interfering with the trees' annual growth cycle or the emergence of leaves.

"It's like we've discovered how to make time stand still for these blossoms," explains Dr. Steven Matsumoto, lead researcher on the project. "Our solution is 100 per cent organic, made from a blend of natural plant hormones and nutrients that encourage prolonged blooming."

This breakthrough comes after years of research into the specific conditions that affect the cherry blossoms' life cycle. The team meticulously tested various formulations to ensure the spray would be beneficial to the trees and not disrupt local ecosystems.

"Our goal was always to enhance the natural beauty of High Park in a responsible, sustainable way," Matsumoto adds.

The city plans to apply BlossomExtend to all of the cherry blossom trees in High Park, as well as other locations across Toronto where these trees are found including Trinity Bellwoods and outside Robarts library.

The extended bloom is expected to significantly impact local tourism, spreading out the influx of visitors over a longer period and reducing the congestion typically seen during the peak bloom weeks.

Local businesses, especially those near High Park, are also poised to benefit from the increased foot traffic.

In addition to boosting tourism, the extended cherry blossom season is seen as a boon for community well-being.

"There's something profoundly uplifting about being surrounded by these blooms," says City Councillor Gord Perks. "Extending this period gives more people the chance to experience this joy, to take a moment out of their busy lives to reflect on the beauty around us."

The city has already scheduled a series of cultural events and activities to coincide with the extended bloom period, including outdoor art exhibits, cultural performances, and guided sakura walks.

These events aim to celebrate not only the cherry blossoms but also the diverse cultural heritage of Toronto.

As the city prepares for an unprecedented cherry blossom season, the sense of anticipation is palpable.

With the help of BlossomExtend, High Park's cherry blossoms are set to become not just a symbol of spring's transient beauty, but also a testament to human ingenuity and the communal spirit of celebration and preservation.

This is an April Fools' post. We're not aware of any new spray being used on the cherry blossoms this year. Also, this post was written by Aileen Aidenson, our new AI writer, and edited by a human. She was so productive writing articles for April Fools' that we gave our hard-working human-staffed news team the morning off. Also, after further consideration, we have fired Aileen as we want all of our content created by humans and not robots.