Cherry Blossom Time

Every year one of the rites of Spring is the announcement that the Cherry Tree trees at the Tidal Basin in Washington DC are blooming. I believe it was 99 years ago that they were a gift from the people of Japan--I wonder if they are still the original trees or offspring. My Cherry is only six years old and it has a substantial trunk already.  

The weather has been cooler than normal so the fragile petals have lasted much longer this year.

Another Cherry that I have is a bush type. I don't recall what the variety is and never really liked it that much. I've moved it twice and was thinking of getting rid of it this year. It must have read my mind since it is blooming better than ever--so it gets a reprieve. I'll trim it a bit and give it a shot of fertilizer as its reward.

The potted Camellia that I have by the front door just started to bloom. It's about a month later than normal. It has done much better in a pot than I expected. The leaves look a little anemic this year though. 

The crab apple buds are showing their color. The bud stage is as impressive as the flowers.

Next are a couple of pictures of Bergenia Bressingham white. This clump is probably 15 years old and slowly expands and contracts in the same area. I've never done anything to help it other than pull the Creeping Jenny from time to time.

These last pictures are of Peony's emerging from their winter rest. The first picture is of those that I brought back from my parents home in South Dakota several years ago--they seem to appreciate the milder winter in Virginia since they wake a couple of weeks earlier than my others. It could be the variety too but it's a good story that I enjoy telling.