Thursday, April 9, 2009

Cherry Blossoms in Brooklyn

I went to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden today for Hanami, the Japanese tradition of viewing cherry blossoms, which started a few days ago. The viewing of cherry blossoms has been a recurring theme in Japanese art for centuries. (Click here to see an example of an Ukiyo-e print with geisha and cherry blossoms by Kitagawa Utamaro I at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.) At the botanical garden, not all of the trees were in bloom yet, but I did manage to take a few pictures with my digital camera about 1pm today, until the batteries in my camera died. Both of the pictures you see here were taken near the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden. I used today's gorgeous blue sky as a backdrop for the pink blossoms in the picture above. The one below has white blossoms framing the pond and the torii gate that traditionally is found at the entrance of a Shinto shrine.

2 comments:

Carolyn said...

I've just planted one of those.

Carmen Ferreiro said...

This is why I love you. We are kindred spirits both finding inspiration in Nature. It is our poetic sentimental side. What drew us to each other that summer in Cambridge many years ago. 18 years to be exact, can you believe it. Still love you the same. Hope you are enjoying your birthday.