Pink Blossoms

The Japanese cherries have leafed out but the pinks and whites of redbuds, crabapples and dogwoods now punctuate the fresh greens of the trees. Most spectacular are the later-blooming cherries, which don't pretend to have the delicate, minimal elegance of their Japanese cousins. Flowers and leaves share space on the same branch, green mixing with shades of pink that run from shy to bold. Last week, the branches were so laden with flowers, packed tight with dozens of petals, that they almost touched the ground. The wind catches the petals. They scatter all over the neighborhood and gather along the edges of streets and fences. When it rains, they collect in damp carpets under the trees, the last of the confetti remaining from the celebration we call Spring.