It's.Raining.AGAIN.

Or maybe it hasn't stopped. At least not since yesterday early evening midday.

Prunus serrulata 'Kanzan'

S-i-g-h.

Big. Sigh. Again. The kind you make after a wet, chilly April followed by more rain than sun during the first week of May -- a fresh month that started with the promise of warmth and sunshine but now looks & feels more like March. And November. Combined.

Except for the blossoms :-). They're a little weather-battered but still beautiful, graceful, and, because of their resilience & tenacity, spirit-lifting. The rain cannot wash them away. Hurrah!

Time to turn away from the window. (I'm obsessing: Is the sky looking a bit lighter? The pounding on the metal flashing quieter?) Instead, I'll look to the screen where I've saved brighter moments from this past week.

Prunus 'Ukon'

Prunus serrulata 'Kanzan'

Prunus 'Shirofugen'

Prunus serrulata 'Kanzan'

Flowering crabapple (Malus)

And, ahem, may I remind May she has some promises to keep. I'm more than ready to go "racing through meadows without any coat."

Blooming in the neighbourhood this week...

... red currant Monday...

... muscari blues Tuesday...

...wet (again) Wednesday...

... sunny-in-the-evening Thursday...

... & Friday...well, that photo is yet to be taken but I may go sakura hunting.

Have a great weekend & happy gardening, everyone!

Photos (top to bottom): Ribes sanguineum (Red-flowering Currant); Muscari (Grape Hyacinth); pink tulip and Pieris japonica; Doronicum orientale (Leopard's Bane); cherry blossoms (cultivar to be identified)

West Hastings Window Box

Viewed on a late afternoon walk to Stanley Park via downtown: white & chartreuse, a fresh colour scheme for spring --

Plants: Euphorbia*, Helleborus*, Hyacinthus, Skimmia japonica

(*I'm not sure about the species or cultivars but as soon as I identify them, I'll add this information.)

Beyond the balcony: Westie Walk photos

One photo from each l-o-n-g walk with Piper during the past two weeks. Sweet, patient, very bored Piper -- I took many more than one photo per walk.

Photos, top to bottom:

Magnolia (March 13th)
Euphorbia (March 15th)
Cherry blossoms (March 17th)
Magnolia, Magnolia stellata (March 18th)
Cherry plum, Prunus cerasifera (March 19th)
Cherry blossoms (March 21st)
Cherry blossoms (March 23rd)
Bleeding heart, Dicentra spectabilis 'Alba' (March 24th)
Magnolia (March 25th)
Magnolia (March 26th)

Blossoms

If a picture's worth a thousand words, then my camera's been very talkative these past few weeks, speaking flowery language, morning, afternoon & evening.

      

Though on second thought, I'm not sure the adage applies here. None of the photos I've taken replace one hundred, let alone one thousand words. Short phrases, like "sunny, yellow forsythia", "delicate, pink sakura", and "frilly, white magnolias" describe the subjects.  And only a few more words are needed for  other details such as setting (e.g., street-side garden, balcony), lighting (e.g., overcast skies, morning sun) or mood (e.g., exuberant, contemplative).

For now, if my pictures can stand in for a few captivating nouns, vivid adjectives, and lyrical verbs, I'll be satisfied. With time & lots of practice, I hope to be able to tell a complete story.  I still have so far to go, but this approach may help me develop & express photographic vision.

I'm beginning to ramble so I'll return to the topic -- blossoms -- stop the words & link to the images:

Sakura (cherry blossoms)

Japanese Apricot (Prunus mume)

A Whiter Shade of Pale

Tulipomania

If you're interested, you can view slideshows. Just click on the first photo in each gallery.