Sakura Hanami in Toronto




by Deirdre McCluskey, Administrative Coordinator, Harlequin Series

We’ve just come through one of the coldest Aprils on record in Toronto, and we are FINALLY enjoying some warm May days! Although Canadians are used to the cold, we love our spring weather and most of us can’t wait for patio season (although we’ll sit on the patio in a parka if needs must.) So, to May I say, Konnichiwa!


One of the highlights of May in Toronto is “Sakura Hanami”, or the viewing of the cherry blossoms, in High Park. Toronto isn’t the first city one thinks of when thinking about cherry blossoms—that would probably be Kyoto, Japan.



 And Sakura's bloom later in the season here than in other cities. My sister and her husband recently traveled to Washington, DC. As Toronto was being pelted with freezing rain and wind, they were basking in warm breezes and fragrant cherry trees.



But Torontonians will eventually enjoy a beautiful cherry blossom display.  High Park has quite a few cherry trees, part of a gift in 1959 to Toronto from the city of Tokyo in appreciation for their support of relocated Japanese-Canadians after the Second World War, according to the Toronto website. Since then, more trees have been added throughout the years as part of the “Sakura Project.”

Thousands of visitors come to the park every spring for Sakura Hanami. You can even track the progress of the blooms at the Sakura in High Park website’s Sakura Watch page to plan your visit during peak bloom time.

Last year I went with my partner on a Friday night and we ate sushi under the cherry trees. It was a little cool, but very pretty, with the white blossoms under the pink sky of the sunset, and lots of families and couples taking photos and enjoying the park.



It was the perfect setting for a romantic scene, perhaps for a Heartwarming book!

Is spring coming to your part of the world? Or have you been enjoying it for weeks? What signs of spring do you anticipate the most?


Comments

  1. I hate to say that here in AZ we skipped spring and went straight to summer. In fact they are predicting 102 to 103 by this weekend. Our Palo Verde trees are blooming yellow blooms everywhere and they are pretty but nowhere near as fragrant as cherry blossoms. When I lived in the northwest we had cherry and plum trees that bloomed beautifully in the spring. I'm so glad you get to enjoy your blossoms now.

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    1. Wow, that is hot! Hope you have some lemonade!

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  2. I'm calling dibs on the cherry tree scene! I'd never even thought of going there, mostly because we're on the east end of the city, and once the boat is back in the water, that's where we hang out. Perhaps I should see if I can nudge the spouse...

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    1. I'm eastish too, but it is definitely worth a trip to the west end! According to the latest predictions, there are some blossoms coming out now, but they should peak next weekend.

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  3. I love all kinds of tree blossoms! When I lived in Yuma, I lived next door to a citrus orchard. The scent of orange blossoms always filled the air and there were times that the buzz of the bees in the orchard were so loud you could hear it over the television inside your house! I've never lived anywhere with cherry blossoms, but it's on my bucket list. Guess I'll live vicariously through the link you posted for now!

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  4. The blossoms look lovely! One more beautiful place I'd love to visit someday.

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  5. I’m lucky to live within walking distance to High Park so viewing the Sakura every spring is a tradition for us....and we don’t have to worry about parking! The trees are spectacular and best seen on weekdays, to avoid the hordes on the weekends. Thanks Deirdre, for the reminder to get out to see them!

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    1. How lucky you are to live near the park! Enjoy!

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  6. I think I'd like to start here in Mississippi and enjoy spring and the cherry blossoms and then a few weeks later travel north, experiencing spring every couple of weeks. lol. So glad April's cold is behind us!

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  7. Years ago my sister lived in D.C. and we traveled there when the cherry blossoms were out. Beautiful and an unforgettable sight. Like Roz in AZ, we here in PA seemed to have gone from winter straight to summer, the 30's to the 80's in one week.

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  8. Loved this post, Deirdre, because I'm just a couple of hours from D.C. and have enjoyed the cherry blossom festival there. I even planted 6 of the yoshino cherry trees at my house, so I get to enjoy the blooms right at home!

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    1. Ooh, that sounds nice! I had a crabapple tree once and it was glorious.

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  9. Lovely post, Deirdre--few things match the beauty of the spring blossoms. I loved all of that living near D.C. and then in the mountains in North Carolina. We're a bit behind in Northern Wisconsin, but with the snow finally gone, I have great faith that spring will come in one spectacular burst this year. Your photos are an inspiration!

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