In all the chaos and confusion of this very strange spring, I missed the introduction in May of these stamps, honoring American gardens. They highlight some of my favorites like the Brooklyn Botanic Garden,Huntington, Winterthur and Dumbarton Oaks. I look forward to visiting these gardens and others once travel becomes possible again. In the meantime, I hope my snail mail correspondents will enjoy receiving envelopes affixed with these beautiful stamps!

This beautiful weeping cherry lives across the street from me. While I treasure its beautiful shape all year long, it is most sensational in the spring with its cascades of pink blossoms. Its beauty provides solace in the face of the Covid-19 state of emergency.

 

The ‘Okame’ flowering cherry trees are blooming in my neighborhood! They are hybrids, creating by breeding Taiwan flowering cherry trees (Prunus campanulata) with Fuji cherries (Prunus incisa). Whatever their origins, I’m grateful for their pink grace notes in our late winter world, welcome harbingers of spring.

Summer came and went too fast this year because I’m working a new book.  The particulars are under wraps but here’s a sneak peak of an image to entice you!

 

Fellow author Sandra Moore and I will be participating in the 2019 Garden Fair & Plant Sale at the U.S. National Arboretum on April 27 & 28. Presented by Friends of the National Arboretum (FONA), it’s open to the public from noon to 4 on Saturday and 9 to 4 on Sunday. FONA members enjoy special members-only hours from 9 to noon on Saturday.

Sandy and I will each have copies of our books to sell — hers is The Peace Tree from Hiroshima, a book for children– plus a supply of In Training by photographer Stephen Voss. See you at the Fair!

Camellias bloom before Cherry Blossoms and this one at the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum at the U.S. National Arboretum is at its peak right now. This Japanese Camellia (Camellia japonica (Higo Group) ‘Yamato-nishiki’) has been in training since 1875 and was one of the 53 bonsai given to the U.S. by Japan in 1976.

I don’t know about you but in the Mid-Atlantic area of the US in the middle of January, I always enjoy a reminder that plants are flowering somewhere, as they will be here too in a few months. You can check this one out at the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum as soon as the US National Arboretum re-opens following the current government shutdown. In the meantime, find the latest news about the museum on the National Bonsai Foundation’s new website: https://www.bonsai-nbf.org/ Enjoy!

For me, cherry blossom time is all year long and I was delighted to discover this photo of a cherry blossom bonsai at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s bonsai museum. It’ll be a must stop next time I’m in New York City!

It was fun to give a talk about bonsai at the Smithsonian Craft Show this past weekend, thanks to all who came! While I was in the National Building Museum, I stopped at their fabulous shop and signed copies of my first cherry blossom book in addition to Bonsai and Penjing. They make great gifts!

Cherry Blossom season 2018 was a whirlwind, literally. The unusually windy weather made the news. Now I’m looking forward to the Smithsonian Craft Show, an inside event, opening to the public on April 26. As one of the show’s “conversations,” I will be speaking about bonsai — Tiny Trees, Big Stories, Living Arts — on Friday, April 27 at 3 pm at the National Building Museum. Please join me!