Mr. Speaker, Vice President, members of the blog community, distinguished readers, and fellow photographers.
It’s spring time and that means Cherry Blossoms here in DC and many parts of the world and that means it is time for flowers. Nothing seems to light up DC more than the annual blooming of the cherry trees. I’ve been getting a lot of questions regarding the blossoms here in DC, etc. So I wanted to share some of the info and photos of the blossoms here in Washington DC over the last week. Well at least during the times I happened to be there checking them out. This year is also a particularly special year as it is the 100th anniversary of the cherry blossoms here in Washington DC as a gift from the nation of Japan.
Photo from the weekend of March 17 – 18
As you can see from below, the state of the blossoms this weekend. There was quite a bit of rain lately and while some of the flowers are still hanging on, many of the flowers have lost their petals and started withering away, waiting to return again for the spring of next year.
Photo from Saturday March 24
It was a lot quieter on the tidal basin area yesterday than it has been as of late. But there were still several brave souls out there trying to enjoy the blossoms while they could.
Saturday March 24
Even as little as a day makes a big difference. This photo was taken on Friday Morning, before the weekend rains came.
Friday March 23
And here are some of the blossoms after the rains.
Both photos from – Saturday March 24
You can see that the flowers definitely sustained a lot of damage recently, which is highly unfortunate.
I tried to take the next two photos from roughly the same location but a week apart. Granted the photos were taken with different cameras but they were taken at roughly similar times of day.
The quality difference sort of makes me think of those infomercials like the before and after photos. Although you can get an idea of the difference in blossom condition between the photos.
I was surprised that even Friday morning that the blossoms were still in pretty good shape even after the rains during the week.
It is almost heart breaking seeing them on Saturday and now with more rains expected today (it’s overcast but it’s not raining at the immediate moment), I hope the remaining flowers last a bit longer still.
The area around the Washington Monument looks particularly ragged.
From last weekend, the flowers were just starting to get to full bloom.
If you are still planning a visit to Washington DC during this time of year, don’t despair. There are still plenty of activities going on during this time. There are still some cherry blossoms left and some of the trees have survived decently over the weather of the last few days. There is also the Cherry Blossom parade, fireworks, and tons of events from now until April 27th when the cherry blossom festival officially ends. Check out http://www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org for more activities occurring in the DC metro Area.
That’s a stunning composition in the fourth last shot. Love the framing of the building with the flowers. And it contrasts so nicely with the very last photo, too.
Congratulations to Washington on this one hundredth anniversary!
Andrew Graeme Gould´s last [type] ..Santiago, Chile: Daniel Zamudio, victim of intolerance / víctima de la intolerancia
Thanks Andrew! Glad you liked the photos. I didn’t originally like the framed photo that much but I found myself liking it more and more after looking at it. Yeah sadly the blossoms lasted a short time on this 100th anniversary…but here is hoping for a great 100 more!
Great Shots Anwar – perfect for spring!! The last one is my favourite!
Dana de Brito´s last [type] ..Girl Trips vs. Guy Trips
Thanks! I really like that photo too! Yeah blossoms always make me think of spring. I’m just sad they departed very quickly but quite happy I got to see them before they did!
The pavilion framed by the pink flowers: what a beautiful photo – like a romantic postcard. Japan is the place I think of when I hear cherry blossoms; didn’t know Washington DC had some as well.
Sophie´s last [type] ..Where in the world
Yes they were a gift from the nation of Japan. The first gift of trees occurred in 1912, so this year is the 100th anniversary of that gift. There are a few thousand trees in and around the area around the basin, and the parks near there. There are also lots more trees scattered around the DC Metro area (other parts of DC, Maryland, and Virginia). It is not quite as big of a celebration as it would be in many parts of japan, but the city here does buzz with talk of the blossoms.
Oh my! I actually gasped out loud when I saw the Jefferson Memorial framed with cherry blossoms. My husband is actually in DC this week and is hoping to see the cherry blossoms for the first time. I hope they last.
Jessica´s last [type] ..Penn Farm Agricultural History Center
Sadly the rain and wind tore up a lot of the trees over the weekend as you can see from the post here. I really like the framed photo there too. I took it Friday morning, got down to the tidal basin before sunrise. I hope there is still some left for your husband to see. Things were looking a bit sparse on Sunday here, but there were still a few trees with quite a few blossoms left.