Cherry blossoms are finally beginning to float to the ground in my yard. If you’ve been brushing them off your walks in frustration and wondering why you planted an ornamental cherry, you may want to take a closer look at these delicate flowers. In Japan, they are treasured as symbols of how fragile and beautiful life truly is.

I love cherries, from their lovely, fleeting blossoms to the way light catches on the richly textured bark in winter.