Apologies, good people, but I must interrupt my tales of the medlar to update you on my beautiful, blossom-ful, ornamental cherry tree, the prunus autumnalis. This lovely tree has the delightful habit of producing blossom twice a year; in spring and in autumn/early winter. About 3 weeks ago, it was just beginning its late autumn blossoming and I showed you these photos of it in my post Two Seasons in One Tree https://silkannthreades.wordpress.com/2013/05/06/2010/
Two Season in One Tree
Blossom above
Since early May we have had many days of rain, and few of sunshine. I haven’t paid much attention to the cherry tree. I have been fixated on the dreary rain and equally dreary skies. So, imagine, my little bounces of joy, when, this morning, I awoke to bright sunshine, a blue sky and the apparition of my prunus autumnalis shimmering all over with delicate, pale pink blossom. And it wasn’t simply the shimmering that made me joyful. The tree was a-twitter of tiny wax-eyes. These little birds, freshly arrived, in my garden, herald the time of colder days. Much as I dislike the colder days, I welcome the winter appearance of these busy, extroverted conversationalists.
I went out to the garden to take some photos and, of course, the birds flew away, but, in the absence of their chatter, I was able to hear the dense, humming chorus of the bees and bumblebees. On closer inspection, it seemed to me that the shimmering of the flowers was not so much from the light, dancing on the petals, but the movement of the bees amongst the blossom. How glorious.
Cherry Blossoms
As far as you can see
Fragrant in the morning sun
Flowers in full bloom
And, how lucky am I to have this loveliness on my doorstep. It’s a sweet gift from Nature to lift my spirits as we head rapidly to the darkest day of the year; the winter solstice.
© silkannthreades
