The annual Essex County Cherry Blossom Festival features more than 6,000 Japanese cherry blossom trees. Photo by Harry Prott

New Jersey is termed the “Garden State” for good reason. In spring and summer, all 21 counties burst with beauty, in glorious settings that cultivate smiles and inspiration. Here are just a few ways that our claim to be the Garden State really adds up.

100 Species of Roses: Stop and smell the roses — lots of them! The elegant Brookdale Park Rose Garden in Montclair features 1,500 rose bushes of around 100 varieties divvied up into 29 separate beds.

Free 365 Days a Year: New Brunswick’s Rutgers Gardens boast beautiful horticultural collections that include All-America Selections flower and vegetable winners, plus one of the country’s largest American holly collections. Check them out any day you like, free of charge.

2,700 Cherry Blossom Trees (More Than D.C.!): At the annual Essex County Cherry Blossom Festival in Newark’s Branch Brook Park (April 6 – 14), you can celebrate the nation’s largest cherry blossom collection in full bloom. Alongside pink and white on parade, expect a family-friendly lineup of fun events.

NJ’s No. 1 Public Garden: Local history and horticulture combine at the 127-acre Frelinghuysen Arboretum of Morristown. There, you can admire lush woodlands, meadows and gardens, all surrounding a picture-perfect Colonial Revival mansion.

200 Plant Varieties by the Sea: The Victorian-style Hereford Inlet Lighthouse Gardens in North Wildwood shine with hundreds of varieties in different alfresco “rooms.” Wind your way along paths that link them, right up to the seawall and Atlantic Ocean.

Browse VisitNJ.org to discover plenty more gardens and arboretums. Plus, download a free NJ travel guide or sign up for e-news from New Jersey Travel and Tourism.