The St. Patrick's Day Parade is also on the agenda for tomorrow...so it's beginning to look a lot like spring - with longer days e.g: more sunlight hours.
In Washington, they are gearing up for the annual Cherry Blossom Festival.
The cherry trees that bloom in this state were a gift from Japan in 1912; and there are about 100 of the original 3,000 still growing.
Vancouver is celebrating its 125th Anniversary this year, and will be marking the occasion with a special Cherry Blossom Festival.
Apparently, the City is giving property owners a chance to purchase a "Birthday Blossom" cherry tree; and even giving them instructions on how to plant and maintain their new little tree.
It's interesting to note here that the number of trees available for purchase is 3,000...the same number of trees that were gifted to the U.S. only 99 years ago.
The "Cherry Blossom" is the flower of the tree known as "Sakura"
In Japan, the Cherry blossom is an omen of good fortune, as well as for love, and affection; but because the flower blooms and then dies so quickly, it is also a metaphor for the fleeting nature of life itself.
Here in Toronto's High Park, we have many Somei-Yoshino cherry trees, with their fluffy white flowers. These were given to the City in 1959 by Japan (again).
The above picture is not in Toronto, but in Newark, New Jersey.
Through the Sakura Project, the Japanese Embassy donated a further 34 trees to be planted in High Park, and in various locations throughout the GTA
No comments:
Post a Comment