This time last year I was waiting for two big events. First was my second trip to South Africa, which remains my nearly-most-favourite-place-on-earth, and the second was for the blossoms on our cherry tree to make their appearance.
I say 'our' cherry tree, but really it's the street's cherry tree. It's in the front garden of the first house we built in this street, Paul & I planted it back in 1997. After we sold that house we became good friends with the new owners and they carried on the care for the tree. It's grown into a huge spring blossoming tree which hangs over the pathway. We've placed a community seat underneath which has seen many happy children playing and many late summer evening drinks as the neighbours get together to chat.
Waiting for a cherry tree to blossom doesn't sound like a big event, but it is. It marks the end of winter for me, and there is a competition riding on when the first blossom opens. A friendly neighbourhood bet... winner gets the coveted 'cherry tree trophy' and the title of "getting the date of the first blossom right".
There's no South Africa for me this year but there is the wait for the first cherry tree blossom. Every morning this week I've been walking along to the cherry tree to see if the blossoms are out yet. There are a few that are very close, I'm hoping they'll hold out for a while though, as I chose Sept 8th as the day they would make their appearance.
Don't you love when traditions just happen, kind of like this one? Don't you love them even better when they are shared with neighbours as fabulous as the ones we have down my street?
(Interesting things I notice in the pics below.. Autumn has Jess & Abby playing with chalk.. something they still do, our road is often covered in chalk drawings... Winter has Jacob holding Molly, Abby's kitty. Molly went missing 11 Feb 2011 and we never saw her again. Summer has all the guys in the shade but Lucy in the sun. I'd probably been sharing a drink right beside her before getting up to take the pic.
Most interesting of all though - my kids are in T-shirts and shorts in all 4 pics. I love NZ :)
Laters
I love your neighbourhood idea. The tree is beautiful. We have a couple of events each year in our neighbourhood and everyone looks forward to them.
Posted by: Diana | August 29, 2012 at 03:49 PM
We have a cherry tree exactly like that in our front garden, and we have a couple of branches of blossom :) Also tulips in the garden just about to flower .... Ahhhhhh spring is almost here! Actually as I type it is almost 5pm and I have all the windows open ... this time two weeks ago we were snuggled in front of a roaring fire by 4pm.
Posted by: Mich | August 29, 2012 at 04:44 PM
That is one seriously gorgeous tree and love how you have photographs of each season. What I also adore is the community seat - what a beautiful setting for people to gather.
Posted by: Jo-Anne | August 30, 2012 at 12:20 AM
must do the "season photo thing" with our tree, mine is outside the kitchen window and attracts the tuis........ just gorgeous!
Posted by: Debbie | August 31, 2012 at 12:03 PM
What GORGEOUS photos! It's awesome that you can continue to visit the beautiful tree that you planted & that the community gets to enjoy it as well! What a wonderful idea to place a bench beneath it, and that your neighbors meet there to chat....I wish we had a 'community tree'!
I know what you mean in regards to anticipating the bloom or leaf-out of a plant to signal that the warmth is returning to your 'neck of the woods' as we say....
Posted by: Dale Rose Stream | September 04, 2012 at 03:33 AM
I love this post and the lovely photos and the difference in that tree over the year! What an awesome idea & what a wonderful neighborhood !!
Posted by: Sherrie | October 08, 2012 at 04:33 AM