My absolute favorite time of year is spring. After several months of being cooped inside, it's such a joy to finally be able to enjoy the outdoors. Some days, it's warm enough that I can finally trade my heavy winter coat for a lightweight jacket.
I love to see the spring flowers in bloom. First the crocuses, then the daffodils and hyacinths and finally the tulips. The early blooming azaleas and rhododendrons start to blossom just as the tulips are beginning to wither. After a dreary winter, the bright colors of spring just awaken my senses and I feel like I've awoken from a three month hibernation period.
But of all the flowers that bloom in spring, the one that most captures my heart is the cherry blossom.
In Washington, DC, we are lucky to have approximately 3,750 cherry trees planted around the Tidal Basin. For the plant lovers out there, most of the trees are Yoshino Cherry. Other species include Kwanzan Cherry, Akebono Cherry, Takesimensis Cherry, Usuzumi Cherry, Weeping Japanese Cherry, Sargent Cherry, Autumn Flowering Cherry, Fugenzo Cherry, Afterglow Cherry, Shirofugen Cherry and Okame Cherry.
Every spring, we have Cherry Blossom Festival that ideally would take place when the flowers are at their peak but these are the most fickle and delicate of flowers so rarely does the festival actually coincide with the peak of the bloom.
But, never mind that. Once word gets out that the trees are blooming, the crowds get out to see them. If I can, I try to take a lunchtime walk from my office to stroll along the Tidal Basin and enjoy the beauty of the trees. If you're lucky, a gentle wind will blow petals off which flutter to the ground - it's so pretty when that happens.
The history of the famed cherry trees in Washington goes to 1912 when the people of sent 3,020 cherry trees to the United States as a gift of friendship. First Lady Taft and the Viscountess Chinda, wife of the Japanese Ambassador, planted the first two cherry trees on the northern bank of the Tidal Basin. These two original trees are still standing today near the John Paul Jones statue at the south end of 17th Street. Workmen planted the remainder of the trees around the Tidal Basin and East Potomac Park.
Over the years, trees have been replaced and cuttings have even gone back to Japan to replace trees that were devastated during bad storms.
This year, I will not be here in DC to enjoy our cherry blossoms. Instead, I will be paying a visit to their homeland, Japan!! Though the trip is several months away and there's a ton of planning to be done before then, I am so excited about going to Japan, it's sometimes hard to focus on thinking about anything else. Mind you, I've been to Japan before. Several times in fact thanks to my parents. I thoroughly enjoyed each and every trip to this exotic country but travelling there as a child versus as a adult is an entirely different matter. I have a far greater and deeper appreciation for culture and heritage as a adult than I did as a child. So, I'm looking forward to exploring Japan - a country with a long history that has imbued a rich cultural heritage. Of course, there are other aspects of Japanese life that I know I will find fascinating. But for now, the planning begins!
By the way, Sakura is the Japanese word for *cherry blossom* - I had to name this blog after this beautiful flower.
