NEIGHBOURHOOD ICON

The definitive harbinger of Spring on my street corner is this gigantic flowering cherry tree.

Its voluptuous deep pink double blossoms have ushered in the warm months for as long as I've lived here, and longer before that. Before I had the good fortune to occupy this home, I passed this beauty with my young son (now 28 years old) on the way to playschool twice a week; and always we were moved by its beauty. Now, neighbours and visitors alike stop to stare, snap photos, and brush up against the soft petals. . . . . .

I suppose the tree has a grown a great deal over the years, though I've not really noticed: funny how that goes, with things you get to see every day. The street-side branches have been pruned a few times by the passing garbage truck, but it recovers nicely, and it has so many branches that one or two less don't seem to matter much. I've sometimes thought of tidying it up a little to contain the spread, but every spring reminds me to leave it alone.

Thankfully, my tree doesn't bear any cherries. There are, after all, plenty of other fruit-bearing trees close by to keep the birds happy; and I shudder to think of cleaning up all those past-their-prime cherries buried in the lawn, squashed underfoot on the roadway, and sprouting up relentlessly in the flower beds nearby.

In the fall, this lady becomes pink once again, as her leaves turn the most spectacular shade of coral before they drop.

But now she is at her best, dressed to impress in her fluffy pink blooms. Tomorrow, when the wind picks up & brings the rain, her petals will fly about like swirling snow, drifting against the curb and decorating the garden. I'm glad I caught her on film before that happens.