What Cherry Blossoms?; Ohio's Dogwoods Are Blooming!

Cherry Blossom Festival In D.C.

The world-famous cherry trees of Washington D.C. again are in bloom which signifies a traditional rite of early spring – a new beginning. This year marks the 100^th anniversary year for this tradition that began in 1912 when over 3,000 Yoshino cherry blossom trees were presented to the city as a gift of friendship from the citizens of Toyko, Japan.

This year’s national Cherry Blossom Festival is observed March 20 through April 27. Nearly 4,000 cherry trees in full bloom grace the D.C. streets each spring. As one can imagine, lots of events are planned for the five-week celebration. Typically, when the peak of the cherry blossoms has passed, redbuds and dogwoods here in Ohio are in full bloom. A little surprise though for this year is that Ohio’s redbuds and dogwoods came into bloom last weekend thanks to early unseasonably warm weather.

Sport anglers have been on Lake Erie catching walleyes now for about two weeks. The annual spring walleye run in the Maumee and Sandusky rivers in NW Ohio generally hits its peak each year from April 1-10. Some are now reporting the peak walleye run has come and gone, but I suspect there are more fish to enter the river in these next couple weeks.

Plenty of people have been out mowing their lawns. I remember as a kid having a handful of lawn mowing customers that I would first see in the first week or so of April, not the middle days of March. Plenty of birds and bugs have been observed outdoors. Lots of folks are predicting this to be among the most buggy of Ohio summers due to the recent mild winter.

Garden centers have been busy. The best advice is to remember that early to mid-May is typically when the threat of frost has passed. This means that despite the eagerness of backyard gardeners, it’s far too early to plant your tomatoes. I like this early spring and despite the mild winter just past, we Northerners always seem to be ready for the warm season.