The first blossoms of the season
Apr 29th, 2009 by Laura Reinsborough
They’re here, the firsty showy signs that fruit trees are on the Toronto scene for another season!
Almost in tandem with the much-anticipated magnolias were the apricot blossoms. This time last year I had no idea the difference between one fruit tree and another, but now that we’ve picked a few in my neighbourhood I knew these were apricots. In fact, the blossoms I stumbled upon were from a tree we picked not once but twice last year.
Then on my way to a meeting about the proposed community orchard, I had to stop my bike and photograph some more. It was such great timing – the clouds had parted, the sun was getting low and strong, and this west-facing tree was announcing its presence with a beautiful shawl of blossoms. As I continued my bike ride, I could pick out the apricot trees as I went – there, there, there, and there! Ooh, and over there!
The apricot trees in Ward 21 were, for the most part, planted by Italian and Portuguese immigrants. It’s incredible to get just the slightest sense of neighbourhood history that these trees have to tell.
I recently learned that a good apricot harvest, as we experienced last year, depends on how much frost we get this spring. Since apricots are one of the first to show their blossoms, they’re more susceptible to being nipped in the bud – so to speak – by a late frost. With the average last frost date in Toronto being May 9th, we’ve got a little ways to go. Keep your fingers crossed!
