'Accolade' Flowering Cherry

Sakura & blue sky last Friday evening -
Prunus 'Accolade' at Vancouver City Hall:

Graceful, open, spreading deciduous tree with masses of pink, semi-double flowers (12 - 15 petals) in large drooping clusters before the leaves. Deep rose pink buds open to blush-pink. Flowers to 4cm wide.

Prunus 'Accolade' is a hybrid cherry, a cross between Prunus subhirtella and Prunus sargentii introduced from Knap Hill nurseries in England in 1952.

Can grow to 6.0 meters high and wide.

Prunus 'Accolade' has received the RHS Award of Garden Merit (H4) 1993.

Source: Guide to Vancouver Ornamental Cherry trees

Welcome, Spring...

...we've been looking forward to your arrival.

Prunus subhirtella 'Whitcomb' photographed under blue skies (hurrah!) at Vancouver General Hospital, just before walking along the seawall (such a high tide!) and then, viewing the full moon {happy sigh}. A beautiful day.

Beauty, grace & resilience

Flowering Japanese Cherry Blossom tree, Prunus subhirtella 'Whitcomb'

I know this 'Whitcomb' very well for I've walked by it daily for more than 10 years: near my workplace it grows and blooms, waves in the wind, and drops petals on the grass.

A few years ago it was severely pruned back to within a few centimetres of its life (well, in my amateur opinion and I'm no arborist).  And not too long ago, part of a large branch split off, likely because of a heavy, wet snow dump.

But every spring the tree continues to bloom. With beauty, grace, and resilience.

This morning I downloaded this image from a Japanese friend's Facebook page:

I will. I may have to get some help and borrow others' words but I will pray because my friend, T., asked me to and I because I do believe it gives the Japanese people hope to know we are holding them close in our hearts and minds.

Prunus subhirtella 'Autumnalis Rosea'

Yesterday I trekked several kilometres along city sidewalks and seawall to reach my destination: a small stand of Prunus subhirtella 'Autumnalis Rosea' at Lost Lagoon, Stanley Park. Many thanks to my gardening friend, Meighan, for guiding me (with a Google map) to the right spot. Be sure to check out Meighan's glorious photographs of these sakura under blue skies. (After you view them, I'm sure you'll understand why the long walk was so worthwhile.)

Recommended reading & viewing:

Winter beauty: Prunus x subhirtella 'Autumnalis'

Autumnalis Rosea - discussion on the UBC Botanical Garden Forums

Cherry Blossoms at Lost Lagoon - Meighan's photos on Flickr

Hanami

Throughout April, nearly every day I spent a few moments enjoying the cherry blossoms. Here's what I looked at and photographed this morning for .... at least 20 minutes, according to the camera time stamp:

Viewing sakura (hanami) is always sweet but especially this tree because it's in a very strategic location: in front of my workplace so I walk by it coming and going. A bit of beauty, grace and resilience to begin and end days that are "messy" (unpredictable at best) in the middle.