Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Our Counterpart to the Cherry Blossoms



This is the time of year that thousands of people flock to Washington D.C. to see the delicate pink blossoms of the famous cherry trees, especially around the tidal basin at the Jefferson Memorial. A sure sign of spring is the arrival of the colorful cherry blossoms.

Our first spring in southern Missouri is turning out to be a glorious show of color, as well. Less than 2 weeks ago we saw the first buds on our "red bud" tree. Today they are bursting like little red fireworks.



But the first tree to go full bloom is the Bradford Pear tree. These perfectly shaped ornamentals are currently covered in delicate white blossoms. After winter's botanical nakedness, these spots of fresh white on the landscape bring smiles and sighs of relief that warmer weather is here.




Old Town Branson has some of the oldest and largest Bradford Pear trees. Whether you are looking up the hill at the vintage shops:

Or down the hill at the new Hilton Hotel and Convention Center:

Lest we get too carried away with the eye-popping colors of spring blooms, we shan't forget the bright yellow scourge of lush green lawns:



What are you favorite first signs of spring?

1 comment:

carmilevy said...

Gorgeous pictures, Barb. We're a little behind the curve because we're still waiting for the snow to finish melting. But after a few days of serious warmth - above freezing - we're well on our way.

I had an interesting first sign of spring as I took and break from writing and walked the dog this afternoon. He was bouncing all over our open lawn, not sure what to do with himself because as of last night, it was still completely covered with snow. Watching the arrival of spring through his doggy eyes was a bit of a revelation to me. Another joy of a new dog owner, I guess.

Thanks for the prompt!