Late March and early April are beautiful months in northwestern Oregon. In early to mid-March, trees begin blooming, beginning with the cherry trees and continuing with many other species throughout April and into May. The winter's rains turn ground vegetation into a vibrant shade of green. Birds begin singing. It's an absolutely wonderful time of the year.
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| Frilly cherry blossoms |
Although I'm usually out scouring the nearby Columbia River Gorge's fabulous flower fields, two weeks ago I decided to stay closer to home. Someone on Facebook mentioned that the magnolia trees were flowering in nearby Hoyt Arboretum. A place I usually visit during the fall to take in leaf colors, I decided it was high time to check out the spring bloom. So I invited my good friend Kim to join me for an urban hike through one of Portland's finest nature parks.
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| An explosion of pink |
Perched atop the West Hills, Hoyt Arboretum is a wonderful 190-acre museum of living trees. Nestled in between the Oregon Zoo and Forest Park, twelve miles of hiking trails crisscross inside its boundaries. This peaceful sanctuary is a great place to escape from the hustle and noise of city life.
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| Beautiful blooms on the Magnolia trail |
After parking, Kim and I huffed and puffed up the Wildwood trail, and then took a side trail that led us past a large grove of blooming cherry trees. Their blossoms were so pink and frilly!
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| A frenzy of star magnolia blossoms |
From the cherry trees, we took a side trail that zigzagged downhill to an area full of pink and white flowering trees. Here were the magnolias, many in full-on bloom mode!
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| Kind of droopy, but still lovely |
Of course, a lengthy photo session commenced. Not very well versed in trees, I was amazed to learn there were several different varieties of magnolias, all producing unique and lovely flowers. There were star magnolias, that grew many-petaled frilly blossoms; lily magnolias with beautiful pink upright flowers; and saucer magnolias sporting striped white and pink blooms. Lucky for me, the arboretum had thoughtfully placed signs throughout the grove identifying each species.
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| So. Many. Photo ops |
I'm going to let you enjoy the next few magnolia images free from my commentary.....
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| These pink flowers were my favorite |
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| A tender bud, ready to bloom |
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| Color everywhere! |
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| Loved the bark of this old cedar tree |
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| An unusual plant in the winter garden |
Kim and I also walked through the nearby "Winter Garden" which appeared to feature flora suited for our wet and chilly winter weather. There were a few interesting plants but my favorite was a huge western red cedar tree. I just love how their bark looks like wrinkled elephant skin.
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| Gorgeous striped flowers |
The greenery and flowering trees of spring make my heart sing with joy. I hope these photos have made you smile too.
(FYI - I'm off on another fantastic adventure, so I'll be absent from blogland for the next three weeks or so. But don't worry, I plan to post all about it when I return. Ciao!)
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