Cherry tree blossom

Blossom Time (2)

Posted on by Ann Mackay

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This year the old cherry tree (‘Kanzan’) in our front garden has only about a quarter of the flowers it used to produce. It’s probably not going to survive a lot longer and I’ll miss the fluffy pink blossoms. (They’re double flowers, so not so good for bees – if I had chosen the tree, it would have been a single-flowered variety.)

While there may be less pink blossom, we do have lots of white cherry blossom in the garden on a young fruit tree. To me, the flowers are every bit as pretty as those of the ornamental varieties. Plus, you have the added bonus of fruit. (Or the blackbirds do, if you’re not fast enough off the mark!)

I’m not sure what this tree is now – probably a morello – because it was an impulse buy by my husband along with a plum tree. Not the best way to buy things, but I have to admit to doing the same thing with perennials. But if it is a morello, then it’s much less sour than I would expect. I like to eat them straight off the tree – but then I do like the sour cherries you get in Turkey too. Mmm!

Given how good the flower display on the fruit trees has been this year, I’m keen to somehow find a bit more space for fruit in the garden. Having some organic food of your own seems like a very good idea these days and this is a fairly easy way to do it. (But not always successful. The plum tree planted at the same time as the cherry has never yet produced fruit. It does look very pretty when it’s in flower though.)

Space may be the only problem with my plan. I have a pear tree that I bought as a bare-root plant and planted up into a large container. It’s still waiting for a home after a couple of years. (Good thing it’s in a big pot!) It should get planted out later this year, but first we have to move our greenhouse and then work out the best place for the pear. I’m looking forward to some fruit from it in the future!

You can see my post from last year about our ‘Kanzan’ cherry tree here: https://annmackay.blog/2021/05/02/frothy-pinks-cherry-blossom/

Cherry tree blossom

Published by Ann Mackay

Photographer, mixed-media art adventurer and completely daft about plants.......

26 thoughts on “Blossom Time (2)”

    1. Thanks Liz! They are such pretty, delicate looking flowers that they are a joy to have in the garden. The petals are starting to drift off now and landing on the pond nearby. Not really a problem because I find the process of sieving them out relaxing. (Lets me play with the water, hehe!)

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    1. Thank you Indira! They’re starting to drift away now – white petals over the ground and in the pond. But beautiful for a short while. Even my husband commented on how much he liked the blossom on fruit trees this year, which means we are likely to end up with more… 🙂

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    1. It was a wonderful day to be outside enjoying the garden and all the blossom was the ‘icing on the cake’. However, that icing is short-lived and starting to drift away, so I’m glad I caught the moment.

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  7. You caught the flowers at just the right time: pristine white against that blue sky is wonderful. I spent some childhood time reading in a cherry tree and plucking its fruit for a snack — despite parental admonitions to “Stay out of that tree!” I have no idea what species ours was, but I remember the cherries were sweet. Today, I prefer the more sour fruit, but your blossoms are pure sweetness.

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    1. It will be interesting to see how the fruit of this tree are as it gets more established. I think it’s a morello, so should be more sour – so far I’ve enjoyed the cherries it has produced. (I too like sour cherries. 🙂 )

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  8. I hope you get bushels from your trees, Ann. I have Montmorency Tart cherries in my breakfast every morning so similar to the sour cherries you wish for. As a child I had a cousin with a large cherry tree. He climbed it and threw them down to me for as long as I would keep eating them. I got very sick and it took about 50 years before I got the urge for them again. I quite enjoy them now but in much small doses. 🙂

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    1. LOL, that’s a shame really, you could have been enjoying cherries for those 50 years! I doubt we’ll ever get a big crop from our tree unless we have a bit more rain and the birds finds something they prefer. Makes whatever we do get all the better! 🙂

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  10. Fruit trees would be nice if I had space. Organic food growing does sound nice. Last year I grew a questionable crop of spuds in a bucket and had about 5 rather delicious cherry tomatoes off a leggy plant after I brought it inside. I like your white blossoms, like a lace veil. I wonder what makes some blossoms white and some pink? Isn’t there a white cherry type somewhere or did I dream it?

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    1. That’s a really interesting question about the blossom colour – there must be some good reason for it. I used to grow tomatoes in the greenhouse but neighbouring trees are casting a lot of shade now. So the greenhouse will be moved later in the year – fun!! You might find a small fruit tree if you have a little space somewhere – ballerina maybe. There are white cherries – they look wrong!

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  11. Love the Old Cherry Tree image – the blooms are quite beautiful! Sorry to hear that it is not doing so well. On the plum tree producing plums, have you checked to see if it has to be so old before it will start producing fruit. I sort of remember that being a problem with some fruiting trees, they have to mature for several years.

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    1. I think you’re probably right about the plum – it isn’t an ideal area for it and it won’t have been easy for it to get established. (And I also noticed that the apple trees got a lot better as they got a little older. Maturity is clearly a big help in fruit-production!)

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