Spring comes quickly, even before we are ready to welcome it. It arrives while we are looking forward to the flowering of cherry blossoms.

Young, green leaves of various plants sprout one after another. This year, it seems to have become warm earlier than usual. Dandelions flowered earlier than any other flowers, while it was still cold winter weather. Once horsetails that symbolize spring appear above the ground, other plants began to flower one after another.

 
On the hill at the back of our house, as soon as the blossoms of the Japanese apricot tree fell, the magnolia tree standing next to it opened its pale pink flowers. Then as soon as the magnolia flowers are in full bloom, they fall away. I noticed that a tree full of pale pink blossoms stands at the entrance of the narrow alley leading up to our house. At first, I thought it was a cherry tree. I talked to a woman living in my neighborhood saying: “The cherry blossom in front of our house is very beautiful.” She smiled back and told me: “It’s not an ordinary cherry tree, and bears edible cherry fruits.” What is the difference? The cherry blossoms are pale pink in color and have five petals. The petals are heart-shaped. It just looked like ordinary cherry blossoms.

She smilingly told me that the cherry tree at the entrance of the alley bears edible cherry fruits after blossoms fall. On the other hand, ordinary cherry trees (such as somei-yoshino trees and mountain cherry trees) have beautiful blossoms, but bear very little and inedible fruits after the blossoms fall. Sometimes the trees bear sweet fruits, but most of fruits are bitter or sour in taste. Now I get it. After the blossoms of the cherry fruit tree at the entrance of the alley opened and fell, the cherry tree on the hill at the back of our house began to open its blossoms. Then cherry trees opened their blossoms at once everywhere in Wakaki-cho. Wherever I go in Wakaki, I am surrounded by pink.

 
In Okusu Park rape flowers grow among the cherry blossom trees. The bright yellow color of rape fields spread in front of the Great Camphor Tree with young green leaves is beautiful. The Jirakansu Cherry began to open its pink blossoms. The park is a must-see spot in Wakaki, where you can enjoy a beautiful reflection of flowers on the water surface.https://slowtrip-saga.com/2017/03/477/
Luckily, we didn’t have rain in the cherry blossom season, and we could enjoy the cherry blossoms longer than usual, for nearly two weeks.
While cherry blossoms slowly fell, new leaves appeared. The cherry trees slowly changed color into green, replacing blossoms with leaves. Then colorful tulips began to bloom. There were red, yellow, white, purple, and pink tulips. Purple magnolia flowers also began to bloom. Bright red, pink, and white azalea flowers also bloomed in clusters. After the azalea flowers fell, blue, purple and white wisteria blossoms opened. The wisteria trees spread their branches along trellises. You can enjoy not only the colors, but also the sweet fragrance of flowers.

 
All of these flowers finish their lives and fall within two weeks after opening. You can enjoy them during only a short period from late March to late April. I always hope to have time to enjoy the flowers, but I don’t have time to appreciate them. I always notice that a certain flower opened. When I remember the flowers and go to see them, they are usually starting to fall. At that time other flowers are rapidly growing and ready to bloom.

The hydrangea bush in front of our house began to bloom. The rainy season is coming soon.

Author name: Noi
Hometown: Bangkok, Thailand
I live in Wakaki-cho, Takeo City, Saga Prefecture, together with my Japanese husband, raising our child.
In Thailand, I used to do art and publication-related work.
I have a Kyushu Special Zone Guide-interpreter’s license (in Thai).