Pretty in Pink: Trees

This has been the strangest spring here in the Mid-Atlantic states. We had virtually no winter, only two days below 25*F, and days above 80*F in March. Very odd.But at the same time, it’s been great because my heating bill will be small(ish) and every single tree that flowers is blooming like crazy. One of my favourite trees is the weeping cherry with its graceful pink branches that sway in the slightest wind. We had two at our house growing up and I loved them. I saw these at a local school that I attended. So elegant.

And then there are the magnolias. Not the southern magnolia grandiflora that everyone thinks of, but magnolia soulangaena, the saucer or tulip magnolia. We had one of these growing up, as well, and the flowers were often ruined by a cold snap after they’d started blooming. Luckily, this was not the case this year. But a lot of the petals were blown off during an early morning thunderstorm that came through on Saturday. Literally, everywhere you turn, you see gorgeous clouds of pink blossoms, and even on grey days like today, they seem to glow.This is a weeping cherry given to a local hospital by Al Capone, the notorious 1920’s era gangster who was treated there. I love the way this tree blends with the one down the block a bit and forms a mass of pink.I like the way the branches on this tree stand out in contrast to the blossoms.  Does look like it needs a bit of pruning though.With the way things are going, tulips and azaleas will be blooming any minute now!