Yesterday, Grace, our daughter, and I went on a day trip to see the cherry blossoms while they were in full bloom. This has been on my bucket list for a while and it certainly did not disappoint. I don’t suppose this counts as much as a garden tour as it does a little view into a iconic spring event in our nations capital.
In 1910 the United States was gifted 2,000 cherry trees from Japan as a sign of friendship and goodwill. Unfortunately, these trees were discovered to be infested with insects and disease and had to all be burned! Fortunately for us, they sent new trees, this time over 3,000, and they were planted along the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C. (as well as other areas). Over time, the “cycle of gifting and preservation” has continued between our two nations. Japan has continued to give us the gift of trees and the U.S. has, at times, been asked to give cuttings back to Japan to rejuvenate their own stock of trees!
The majority (70%) of the cherry trees are Yoshino cherry but there are several varieties mixed in. The pink ones stand out beautifully amongst the white blooms!
Grace and I particularly loved the groves of cherry trees. It was like walking under a bloomed filled sky! This is exactly what I’ve been trying to create in front of the garden without much success. I’m re-inspired now to keep at it!
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the Cherry Blossom doughnut that we got from District Doughnuts. Friends, it was so delicious and I’m already dreaming of another one.
Getting to D.C. can always be fraught with traffic and closures so be prepared for anything if making the trip! We chose to park in a garage in the wharf area and walk to the Tidal Basin from there. I would also highly recommend getting to the basin very early in order to avoid crowds. It was peak bloom while we were there and by the time we left in the afternoon, it had gotten very crowded (everyone was wearing masks). We thought our very early morning departure was totally worth it as it’s much more enjoyable to walk amongst the trees when not crowded.
