The brilliant rays of sun warmed the chilly air to create a perfect cloudless day in the District of Columbia on a recent mid-April morning; and to celebrate the recent arrival of spring, the flowers of some of the Prunus serrulata Kwanzan — more popularly known as the cherry blossoms of Kwanzan Cherry trees — opened with vibrant hues of pink splashed with accents of pure whites.
Cherry Blossoms Bloom in Washington
Some of the young blooms reminded me of roses — and no wonder, as the Kwanzan Cherry tree is a member of the rose family.
West Potomac Park is a great place to walk in the spring — even if you are carrying a bag.
The cherry trees were a gift to the city of Washington from Tokyo. Yukio Ozaki was the mayor of Tokyo at the time when greater than 3,000 cherry trees arrived to a simple ceremony on Wednesday, March 27, 1912 where the first two trees were planted on the north bank of the Tidal Basin in West Potomac Park.
Admirers of the cherry blossoms gather around one along the edge of the tranquil Tidal Basin near the bridge of Ohio Drive, taking pictures and simply enjoying what nature has to offer.
A man casually strolls near the access entrance to Hains Point as he heads towards the direction of the Jefferson Memorial.
The cherry blossoms — as well as the incredible weather — seemed to bring out either the playful or the relaxed nature in everyone.
Summary
I was not interested in attending the National Cherry Blossom Festival, as I am not particularly interested in parades, celebrities, crowds and traffic congestion. Rather, I decided to quietly appreciate the focus of that annual event: the flowers of the cherry blossoms themselves.
Sometimes, the simple things which life has to offer are amongst the best to enjoy.
All photographs ©2016 by Brian Cohen.
