Cherry Blossom Village

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Welcome To Belleville

The Cherry Blossom Village

Updated April 25, 2014-

Scroll down to see current condition notes and photos.

Belleville, NJ is a premier location for viewing Cherry Blossoms. There are now over 4,000 Cherry Blossom trees of many different varieties which bloom over an extended period in the park. There are an additional thousand beautiful blossoming trees growing along the streets of town. Visitors each year number in the tens of thousands. We hope you will enjoy this site intended to be a resource center for those who wish to experience the magic of that exquisite Rite of Spring, the annual blooming of the Cherry Blossoms in our village.

As you scroll down this page you will find -
1. Sample photos of this year’s display.
2. A Cherry Blossom viewing guide.
3. Caroline Bamberger Fuld, photo and brief biography.
4. Historic photos of the park under construction in 1937.
5. Exotic Cherry Blossom Ties
6. Caught in the Snow.
7. Summer time.
8. Autumn leaves and Cherry Blossoms.
9. Where we are.
10. Cherry Blossoms around the world.

<==+==>

CURRENT CONDITIONS

06 April 2014

Still another long, hard Winter that doesn't want to go away, for the third year in a row, has delayed the opening of the blossoms. Nothing is happening yet. If the current weather pattern holds, it will be another two weeks before we see anything.

16 April 2014

Daytime temperatures have soared into the upper 70's for the last few days encouraging the younger trees to begin their blossom cycle. Less than 20% currently in bloom. For Tuesday evening, there is heavy rain, temperatures will drop to the 30's. These near-freezing nighttime temperatures, over the next three days, may stall the blooming cycle, but warmer weather is due to return for the weekend which could possibly give us a nice display for Easter.

25 April 2014

Warm weather did return for just a few days, enough to trigger a decent display for Easter Sunday. The early bloomers are spent now. The mid-season varieties are at peak today. Those spectacular double-blossom late bloomers are budding now; they will probably display after the weekend. The season is running so late this year, we may still have some trees in bloom during the first few days of May.

April 15, 2014


April 25, 2014

April 25, 2014


April 25, 2014

April 25, 2014

<==+==>

Photos from 2013

15 April 2013

It started! After a slow start caused by cold nighttime temperatures, conditions have improved enough to encourage the trees to open their blossoms. Warm temperatures predicted for the days ahead suggest that the blooming season will be explosive during the next few days. The next ten days will likely be peak viewing time.

17 April 2013
The late start to the season coupled with suddenly rising temperatures has caused the early bloomers and the mid-season bloomers to blossom together creating a spectacular display. Peak viewing time is NOW.

15 April 2013

April 16, 2013

April 16,2013

Photos from 2012

03/17/2012

03/26/2012

03/29/2012

04/05/2012

04/17/2012

Autumn 2011

Brilliant Fall Colors

Many, many branches down.

One of the elder Cherry Blossom trees felled by the storm.

A forest of colors.

The Battle of Second River monument in Autumn

An excellent display in spite of the storm.

---
<==+==>

Cherry Blossom Types

All Cherry Blossoms are not created equal. In Spring, the Goddess pretties herself with a heart-gladdening array of types, sizes, shapes and colors from the simple but elegent 5-petal design, through the many multi-petal beauties, to the carnation-like spectacular, double blossoms. Here are some examples of the types to be found in the Cherry Blossom Village -

<==+==>

Village Streets

Click below for a slide show featuring the streets of our village in full Bloom in 2010.

Street Scenes

<==+==>

The Village Park

2010 was a very good year in the village park. Click below for a slide show.

Village park slide show

<==+==>

Tree Spirit Slide Show

<==+==>

Weather Forecast Weather Maps

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Cherry Blossom Viewing Guide

Japanese horticulturists tell us that there are more than 300 varieties of Sakura - Cherry Blossoms. A small number of those have made their way, in significant quantities, into North America. The viewing guide above is intended to familiarize the reader with the names of a few, just enough to get you started, of the more popular varieties that you may find in North American collections.

Major collections in the mid-Atlantic region worth visiting :

Belleville, NJ - Cherry Blossom Capital of America
Brooklyn Botanical Gardens
Fairmont Park, Philadelphia
Washington D.C., tidal basin

Caroline Bamberger Fuld

Caroline Bamberger was born in Baltimore during the thunder and smoke of the Civil War in the age of gas lights and horse-drawn carriages. "Carrie", as she was called, moved to Newark in 1895 to join her brother, Louis Bamberger, in the department store bearing the family name. In 1928, at the time of the passing of her second husband, Felix Fuld, Caroline Bamberger Fuld donated a large collection of Japanese flowering cherry trees, intending that they would be planted along the banks of the Second River. They seemed an appropriate memorial, symbolizing as they do both the beauty and brevity of life. It is for this donation that she is most remembered in our village.

A Mill Stream Transformed

By the beginning of the Twentieth Century, the picturesque Second River was wearing several layers of grime and showed all the signs of abuse that heavy industry can bestow on a natural resource. Time and the Great Depression had closed the plants along the old mill stream. It seemed like a really good idea to return it to nature. It became a WPA project in the 1930s to convert the Second River into a grand park and Cherry Blossom wonderland. Watch as the work progresses -

Exotic Cherry Blossom Ties

A portion of our collection of exotic Cherry Blossom theme ties.

Cherry Blossoms Close Up Neck Wear by CherryBlossomVillage

See the entire collection.

Labels: Cherry Blossoms, Sakura

Monday, February 9, 2009

Caught in the Snow !

It was a beautiful early spring day in April of 2000. The blossoms were at a fine peak of perfection. But, then a somber darkness moved in. The sky turned a sullen lead-gray. A Winter chill filled the air. It began to snow. Suddenly one was surrounded by swirling snow flakes and pink petals, a Cherry Blossom blizzard. Winter and Spring were at war with each other.

: Name: NJP; Location: Belleville, NJ, United States

Author of "Hillside Pleasure Park" and "A Dutch Christmas in Old Second River 1697" [] All content of this site is Copyright 2005-2016 Norman Price and may not be reproduced in any manner without written consent.[]

View my complete profile

Cherry Blossom Cluster by njp7944

Cherry Blossom Cluster by njp7944

Cherry Blossom Solo by njp7944
An elegant throw pillow

Wealth Meditation by njp7944
Contemplate good fortune

Adirondack Moments 01 by njp7944

Autumn Fairy 1 by njp7944

Autumn Fairy 2 by njp7944

Autumn Fairy 3 by njp7944

Autumn Fairy 4 by njp7944

Cherry Blossoms A Go-Go by njp7944

Cherry Blossom Bride by njp7944

Cherry Blossom Prints

Cherry Blossom Gifts

Subscribe to
Posts [Atom]

There is the tale of a lad returned from the war, hard used in battle, hobbled by his wounds. He could be seen on most days walking along the path among the Cherry Blossom trees. It was soothing to him to be among them. He came in every season. The sakura were charming while in blossom but he enjoyed them as well in summer as they relaxed in the warm sun renewing their energies. Autumn was a wonder when each tree would express itself with a different color palette and all together they were dazzling. It was on a late Winter's day when the sakura were bare, the pose with which they would display their beauty in early Spring was sharply defined against the cold, blue Winter sky, when he caught a glimpse of a shadow nearly obscured by brilliant sunlight playing on snow. The sakura spirits would rather you didn't see when they step out of their sleeping trees to rehearse the Cherry Blossom Ballet in the time just before Spring, but a sharp eye on the long shadows of a late Winter afternoon will sometimes reward you with a glimpse. The lad saw among the deep shadows a dancing figure so lovely that his heart leaped and his knees nearly buckled. You know how it is when you see that special girl for the first time. After awhile this charmingly cute village-girl spirit became aware of his gaze. Amused by his adulation, she teased him a bit by striking her prettiest poses. She held his gaze for a long time. He became lost in his vision. How could he know that she was a tree spirit three centuries older than he? He only knew she was perfect. Of course, spirits are ageless, neither young nor old, but he was a long time passing from joining her. She, too, was becoming enchanted by the noble warrior spirit she saw deep within the woebegone soldier. She determined to use her best skills to engage him 'til the time might be right. And so it was that season after season, year after year, he came to the Cherry Blossom grove to admire her. So enamored was he that he came to adore her when she blossomed, when she relaxed in the Summer sun, when she was glowing in Autumn and, best of all, when she rehearsed her ballet in late Winter. At the turn of many seasons, when the time was finally right, both the tree and the old soldier were gone. He had joined his beloved tree spirit. Watch on a breezy Spring day, when blossom petals are swirling all around you, if your heart is light, you can see them dancing together among the swirls in the Cherry Blossom grove where they first met.

(c)Norman James Price 2009

Cherry Blossom gifts

Cherry Blossom Cluster 02 by njp7944

Cherry Blossom Cluster by njp7944

Tree Spirits Dancing by njp7944

Cherry Blossoms CU #8 by njp7944

Cherry Blossom Close-up by njp7944

Sakura by njp7944

Cherry Blossom 01 by njp7944

Sakura 01 by njp7944

Cherry Blossom Vignette 01 by njp7944

Cherry Blossom Petals by njp7944

Cherry Blossoms in Snow by njp7944

Cherry Blossoms by the Mill Stream by njp7944

Cherry Blossoms Belleville NJ by njp7944

Cherry Blossom Tree Spirit 05 by njp7944

Sakura by njp7944

Cherry Blossoms Magnet 01 by njp7944

Llewellyn - New Worlds of Body, Mind & Spirit - www.llewellyn.com

Britannica Online Student Edition – Start your 7-day FREE Trial!

Save 70% - Now Enjoy Brilliant Courses in Your Car or Home

--- Archive photos from 1976.---

A pretty tree stands striking a graceful pose, crowned with blossoms, an elegant image of feminine perfection. Since time immemorial, the cherry blossom tree has been regarded as female. The ancient Japanese character which means "cherry blossom", sakura, tells us exactly that.

The Japanese character, the kanji. is made of several components. On the left is the basic ideogram of a tree. In the lower right is the symbol of the feminine on top of which is floral decoration. The kanji is sakura, a pretty tree-woman with flowers in her hair. She is worshipped throughout Japan. In China, the cherry blossom is a symbol of feminine beauty and sexuality. It has also come to represent the feminine principle and love in the language of herbs. It, too, represents feminine power. We, in the West, admire the girlish aspect of these stunning trees who pose in Spring as pretty ballerinas clad in flowers in graceful pirouettes, fine tondues or grande arabesque penchées. Then, we return in Autumn to see the explosion of colors that can be viewed in a grove of many varieties, each with its own pallet of hues. We may allow ourselves to see, in the theatre of the minds eye, the wish-granting fairies darting in and about the swirling spectacle of Autumn leaves just before Halloween. Even in deep Winter, when the trees are bare, their dainty, exquisite forms can be seen against a stark blue sky and we fancy that the tree spirits are rehearsing their poses for the coming Spring. The legends persist. To be sure, the manner in which a people regard the sacred feminine, defines their level of civilization more accurately than any other aspect of themselves.

Njp7944 Welsh Gifts