Category: Photos

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Photos

Akebono Cherry Buds

Akebono cherry bud at Burrard skytrain station
March 8, 2013

Can you guess how many blossoms came out of that cherry bud?

Akebono cherry bud at Burrard skytrain station.
March 22, 2013

There were actually three Akebono cherry blossoms hidden inside that bud!

I’m not even sure what all the parts of a cherry blossom are called. I’ve registered to the cherry scout program to learn more about these beautiful trees. There will be a free workshop called Blossom Biology on April 11, 2013 offered by Douglas Justice.

Tree Talk (not a Walk) in the evening: Blossom Biology Workshop

  • April 11, 2013, Thursday, 7:30pm to 9pm
  • Classroom at VanDusen Botanical Garden, in the new building, end of hallway to the left
  • Presented by Douglas Justice, Associate Director and Curator of Collections, UBC Botanical Garden & Centre for Plant Research

Douglas brings the cherries to you! Learn how to identify our cherry cultivars. Registration is requested for this workshop, as seating is limited.

Register now.

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Photos

Burrard Station Update

Burrard skytrain station March 25 2013

At the Burrard skytrain station there are lots of cherry buds right now but only a  few cherry blossoms are open.

Burrard skytrain station March 25 2013

The Akebono cherry blossoms should be open by the end of this week.

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Cherry Jam Photos Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival

Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival banner

Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival 2013 banner at Burrard skytrain station

The Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival banner is up at the Burrard skytrain station.

We have so many activities planned for the festival from April 4-30 2013!  Mark these dates to your calendar:

Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival 2013 banner at Burrard skytrain station

Come celebrate spring with us!

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Photos

Akebono at Burrard station

Burrard station Akebono Mar 23 2013

This Akebono cherry tree located outside Burrard sky train station (facing Robson street) is starting to bloom.

It’s a great location to take pictures of budding blossoms but it’s essential that you go in the morning to catch the morning sun (otherwise the tree will be shaded by nearby buildings).

Burrard station Akebono Mar 23 2013

The light was just perfect this morning at 9.30am.

Burrard station Akebono Mar 23 2013

The cherry tree is mostly buds at the moment, but if you have a good zoom on your camera you can do closeups of fully formed blossoms.

Burrard station Akebono Mar 23 2013

These budding cherry blossoms will delight visitors in a few days!

Photography tips: great location to catch budding Akebono cherry blossoms. A few blossoms are also open. It’s essential to visit in the morning before the tree get shaded by neighboring buildings. (These pictures were taken at 9.30am).

Cherry blossom viewing tip:  wait 5-7 days to visit this location (the blossoms will be fully formed then).

Did you know? This Akebono cherry tree was planted by VCBF Director Linda Poole in March 2006. Look how tall it has grown since!

Categories
Cherry Jam Photos

Burrard Station Update

Akebono cherry blossoms at Burrard skytrain station.

The Akebono cherry trees at the Burrard skytrain station were a beautiful shade of pink when I visited this afternoon around 4.30pm.

Akebono cherry blossom buds at Burrard skytrain station.

The branches were filled with pink buds that are just about to open!

Akebono cherry blossom buds at Burrard skytrain station.

Just wait a couple of days and it will be cherry blossom galore!

Akebono cherry blossom buds at Burrard skytrain station.

It looks like we’ll have plenty of cherry blossoms for the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival Cherry Jam on April 4th.

Akebono cherry blossom at Burrard skytrain station.

Cherry viewing tip: You will find only a few cherry blossoms at the Burrard skytrain station right now: they are close to tree trunk, too high, or close to the glass panels. Not ideal.

When to visit: just wait  5-7 days to visit this location and you’ll be greeted by thousand of blossoms and will be able to walk under the pink canopy! Subscribe to the blog or follow us on Facebook to receive updates.

All photos taken at Burrard skytrain station March 22, 2013 between 4.30-5.00pm

PS Compare with the pictures I took March 8. The trees went from green to pink in less than 2 weeks. Amazing!

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Photos

Accolade on Broadway (near McLean)

Accolade Broadway McLean by JT March 19 2013

It’s that time of the year when suddenly there seems to be Accolade cherry trees blooming everywhere, so make sure to carry your camera with you at all times!

Accolade Broadway McLean by JT March 19 2013

During a short ten minute walk to the Broadway/Commercial skytrain station, I came across this Accolade cherry tree on Broadway (between McLean and Clark) in Vancouver.

Accolade Broadway McLean by JT March 19 2013

The tree doesn’t have much blossoms, and the branches are thin and climbing towards an apartment building, so it’s not a great photography spot, but…

Accolade Broadway McLean by JT March 19 2013

… I find that sometimes it’s with the oddest tree that you get the best cherry blossom pictures.

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Photos

Accolade (Burnaby North)

Accolade cherry tree Halifax Kensington March 17 2013 by jt

On Halifax street (corner of Kensington), the Accolade cherry tree is 30% bloom. I love photographing cherry trees in that early stage when you can capture both blossoms and buds!

accolade-halifax-kensington-by-jt-march172013-IMG_9477

There are two Accolade cherry trees at this location, which means plenty blossoms and buds!

Accolade cherry tree Halifax Kensington March 17 2013 by jt

Photographers tips:  there are lots of low branches on the tree, allowing for good closeups. The light is great all afternoon but especially between 12 and 3, with the sun coming from behind the blossoms. It’s an ideal location for closeup photography.

Accolade cherry tree Halifax Kensington March 17 2013 by jt

Hurry up! Blossoms are already falling, covering the lawn.

What’s blooming now in Burnaby North: there’s a Whitcomb cherry tree on Broadway corner of Cliff. Go down Kensington and turn left on Broadway.

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Photos

Whitcomb cherry (Burnaby North)

whitcomb-blossom- broadway and cliff by-JT-March72013-IMG_9559

Today on Broadway street (corner of Cliff), I went to investigate a tree with dark pink blossoms and discovered with pleasure that it was a Whitcomb cherry tree!

whitcomb-blossom- broadway and cliff by-JT-March72013-IMG_9559

The tree is almost fully bloom.

whitcomb-blossom- broadway and cliff by-JT-March72013-IMG_9559

Photographer’s tips: There are no low branches on this tree so make sure you bring a camera with a good zoom. (Warning: presence of  poles and wires.)  Traffic is heavy on Broadway and  there’s no parking. You’ll have to park on the adjacent streets and walk from there.

whitcomb-blossom- broadway and cliff by-JT-March72013-IMG_9559

And don’t forget to look at your feet, too!

Also blooming now in Burnaby North: Two Accolade cherry trees on Halifax, corner of Kensington.

Categories
Haiku Photos World Umbrella Dance

Urban Tea Merchant

Urban Tea Merchant window display March 2013

Since there are no blossoms yet at the Burrard skytrain station, you can do your cherry blossom viewing at this beautiful window display at Urban Tea Merchant (1070 West Georgia Street), just a block behind the Burrard station.

 

UrbanTeaMerchantwindowIMG_9341

Urban Tea Merchant always have nice store displays but this one really won me over with its origami cherry blossoms.

And, since you’re there, you might as well go in!  Here are some things you can do at Urban Tea Merchant:

 

UrbanTeaMerchantumbrellaIMG_9348

1) You can buy (or pick up) your pop-art umbrella to participate in the World Umbrella Dance.  (If you paid online, bring your paypal receipt).

 

UrbanTeaMerchantWhiteSpringIMG_9342

2) you can buy or sample cherry blossom tea. White Spring is a white tea with a hint of a cherry blossoms, but my favorite is called Sakura! Sakura! It’s a green tea with cherry blossoms in it. It’s sweet and delicious.

 

Urban Tea Merchant postcard Sakura Sakura

3) pick up one of their beautiful color postcards featuring their Sakura! Sakura! tea.

On the back of the postcard, there’s a space where you can practice writing your haiku for the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival Haiku Invitational:

Urban Tea Merchant postcard Sakura Sakura

Submit your haiku to the VCBF Haiku invitational before June 3rd.

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Arts & Crafts Photos

What’s up at Burrard Skytrain Station

The cherry trees at Burrard skytrain station

At the Burrard skytrain no cherry blossoms yet, but plenty of buds!

Knitted blossom hung on a cherry tree at the Burrard Skytrain

The only cherry blossom I found was this knitted blossom that someone had hung on a branch. (This reminded me of the yarn bombing of Joy Kogawa’s house in 2011!)

The cherry trees at Burrard skytrain station

The good news though is that the Akebono cherry trees are full of buds which means that cherry blossoms are only a few weeks away.

The cherry trees at Burrard skytrain station

The cherry buds give the trees a nice green glow.

The cherry trees at Burrard skytrain station

In a few weeks, there will be so many cherry blossoms on these branches you will barely be able to see the sky!

Don’t forget to reserve your SakuraB bento box to picnic under the blossom at the Burrard skytrain station during our popular Cherry jam concert (April 4th).