BBG: Cherry Blossoms 2014

Two years ago this week I saw the cherry blossoms at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden for the first time ever. In fact, it was my first time really seeing cherry blossoms en masse and I was instantly enchanted. I wasn't able to see them last year because I was back in Ohio, but I've been looking forward to cherry blossom season ever since.

Well, this year I managed to schedule two back-to-back weekend trips (to Texas, then Ohio) right during what is usually peak blossom season. Thanks to the crazy cold/long winter that we've had the blooms are definitely delayed, and I'm hoping that I can still catch them at peak bloom after I get back. I didn't want to take any chances, however, so I knew I had to find a way to see whatever had started to bloom before I left. I had yesterday (and Tuesday) off work because of Passover (the joys of working for a Jewish cultural institution) and although it was cold — it actually snowed  again Tuesday night — it was brilliantly sunny so I went to check on the cherry trees at the BBG.

Not a single tree in the cherry esplanade is in bloom yet, but thankfully a handful of other trees around the garden have gotten an early start. I took so many photos that I was actually fearful of filling up my 32 gb memory card, but I just couldn't stop myself. Every time I walked two feet the view was even better than the previous one and the light was so beautiful that I couldn't put down my camera.

I'm certainly not an expert, but there are at least a few different varieties of cherry trees at the BBG — from white and pale pink to brighter, almost fuchsia blooms. They come in different sizes and configurations, some trees have weeping branches (my favorite) and some have twisty black limbs that contrast with the pale blossoms in the best way.

Especially after the winter we've had this spring feels well-deserved and very much overdo. I can't really even convey how happy it made me to be walking around and under such incredible beauty, but words aren't really necessary or could ever be adequate in situations such as these — good thing I maxed out my computer hard drive with photos documenting nearly every single blossom I came across.

I'm going to try to make a return trip at the beginning of May and hopefully catch the rest of the late bloomers, but I won't feel as if I've missed out if for some reason I can't make it. I doubt they'll be in peak bloom for the Sakura festival next weekend, although that's definitely something I'd like to check out next year.

I'd also like to plan a trip to DC for their cherry blossom festival even if I fear that I might actually die of happiness if I actually make it there during peak bloom season. If I do, just dig a hole, throw my body in and plop a cherry tree on top — I don't know if I believe in reincarnation, but there are way worse things to come back as than a crazy beautiful blossoming cherry tree.