Pinkest Party on Earth

In 1952, William Arthur Fickling, Sr, discovered the identity of three mystery trees in his front yard in Macon, Georgia. They were Yoshino cherry trees, not native to Middle Georgia. An avid gardener, Fickling began rooting them. The breathtaking blossoms inspired Carolyn Crayton to start a festival honouring Fickling for his contributions. In this book Macon newspaper columnist Ed Grisamore tells the story of how a city wraps itself in pink each spring and has become the cherry blossom capital of the world.

Ed Grisamore is a columnist for The Telegraph in Macon, Georgia. He was the recipient of the 2010 Will Rogers Humanitarian Award, presented by the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. Grisamore is the author of eight other books, and was named 2012 Georgia Author of the Year in the essays category.