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News from Mr Grady

Hello Everyone,

About 6 years ago, in a small corner at the front of our house, in the garden, we planted a cherry tree.  It was about 18 inches high (yes, I still measure garden-based activities in inches and feet.  Yes, I know this is obsolete, and yes, I still have to look up conversion to centimetres and metres in order to buy anything.) It looked pretty tiny next to the other trees in the street, less bushy and certainly quite flimsy in comparison to the more established trees and shrubbery.

It is now about 7 feet high, and can be seen through our front window.  When it comes out in blossom, it is always a delight to see – the light, pastel pink blossom always feels like a real herald that spring has properly sprung, and we can look forward to warmer and lighter months.  It stands proudly next to the other trees in the street, its blossom a pale pink cloud against the darker greens of the evergreens.

What’s so lovely about the blossom is that it is quite an ephemeral moment of colour and texture before, as is the case every year, a light breeze starts to blow it off the branches, or, as so often happens you get one day of the blossom in all its glory, but then a rain shower washes it clean of blossom overnight, and the pavement by the tree looks like the left-over confetti from a wedding.  How ever long or short the blossom is with us each year, I can’t tell you how much joy seeing it in bloom brings me.

Obviously at the moment it is just a few branches and twigs, but as I was walking past it just before Christmas, I realised that all those buds are already there, ready to burst forth, and now, as I walk past the tree, instead of seeing it as a bit dead and sticky, it feels to me like a buzzing, energised tree of potential – it’s not ready to show off it’s blooms and leaves yet, but it’s all in there ready to go – it’s retreated but it is certainly ready to get started again. 

Some of the other trees on our road have leaves on already, or in some cases, berries that the local pigeons appear to be gorging themselves on, so our tree could look like it’s a bit behind.  But when you look at the tight little buds, with a really dark glossy-brown and green sheen – you realise it’s not behind at all, it’s just getting there in a different way.  It’s not going to have to catch up with the other trees, as there’s no race to get there, and it’s doing its own thing, just in a slightly different fashion.  Irrespective as to what the other trees get up to, it will burst out in blossom exactly as we would expect, reminding us that out of every winter comes a hopeful and warming spring, and I for one, can’t wait for that!

Stay well and safe everyone,

With very best wishes,
Mr Grady