Downtown

Discussion in 'VCBF Neighbourhood Blogs' started by Anne Carten, Mar 2, 2008.

  1. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    Two 'Shirotae' at 888 Nelson, outside Honolulu Coffee Co.
    20170414_888NelsonHornby_Shirotae_Cutler_192518.jpg 20170414_888NelsonHornby_Shirotae_Cutler_192616.jpg
     
  2. yaletowner

    yaletowner Active Member 10 Years

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    4/20/2017 Update: Well, 3 of the Ukon have died from the severe winter we just had but the other 5 are blooming beautifully. Again the lone Kanzan as well as those nearby on Beatty Walk are mostly buds still with a few blossoms here and there. Those in the neighbourhood for the Sun Run, Walk and Expo this coming weekend can enjoy both the Ukon and maybe the Kanzan and remainder of the Helmcken Park Shirotae. The Akebono at David Lam Park and on the Marinaside seawall are pretty much done. If you are around the neighbourhood today post 4/20 events, well - hey - it's all good :)
     
  3. yaletowner

    yaletowner Active Member 10 Years

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    These trees have survived the nearby Vancouver House construction quite well and the blossoms on the "Punk Perfection" (actually a Kanzan that lives in the shade under the Granville Bridge and can get mistaken as a Pink Perfection) are looking good. The nearby Shiro-fugen has full buds just about to bloom so maybe the two will put on a show together soon. When the big Vancouver House is finished in the next year and all the public artwork goes in, a lot more people will be around to appreciate them next spring.

     

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  4. Willard

    Willard Generous Contributor

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    Pink Perfection at its finest. See it now.

    20170422 1500Howe PinkPerfection Willard_0003.JPG 20170422 1500Howe PinkPerfection Willard_0013.JPG 20170422 1500Howe PinkPerfection Willard_0007.JPG 20170422 1500Howe PinkPerfection_0018 2.jpg
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 22, 2017
  5. yaletowner

    yaletowner Active Member 10 Years

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    Many of the 40,000 Sun Runners & Walkers were able to view these Kanzans on Beatty Walk in full bloom (the Ukon grove on Expo Blvd nearby were also still in bloom)
     

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  6. yaletowner

    yaletowner Active Member 10 Years

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    And they're back - rainy evening following the nice weather earlier for the Sun Run
     

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  7. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    If you want to compare 'Shogetsu' and 'Shiro-fugen', the time is now at a pretty little park east of 1239 W Georgia, that runs from Georgia to the lane to the north. There are around 10 'Shiro-fugen', with only a very few flowers open today, looking very bronze because of the leaves, and two 'Shogetsu', totally open, flowers past the pink stage, completely white, with green leaves.
    20170426_1239WGeorgiaBute_ShogetsuShirofugen_Cutler_132351.jpg 20170426_1239WGeorgiaBute_ShogetsuShirofugen_Cutler_132406.jpg 20170426_1239WGeorgiaBute_ShogetsuShirofugen_Cutler_132428.jpg
     
  8. yaletowner

    yaletowner Active Member 10 Years

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    Well these Kanzan's are almost finishing the season for the blossoms downtown this year and about to endure some major construction projects to the old Post Office complex west of the Playhouse - QE Theatre and the new Vancouver Art Gallery to the east. Once all this is done, the area will be buzzing again with an audience for them (especially if the Canucks manage to rebuild to do another spring playoff run). 2017 was a bit late starting but turned out quite decent.

    Edit by wcutler: these photos are co-operative effort. Thanks, @yaletowner .
    20170502_Dunsmuir & Hamilton 1_Kanzan_yaletowner-Cutler.jpg 20170502_Dunsmuir & Hamilton 2_Kanzan_yaletowner-Cutler.jpg
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 4, 2017
  9. yaletowner

    yaletowner Active Member 10 Years

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    Well I am not sure if there are still 13 trees still here but there is enough and at about the same stage of blooming 3 years plus 3 weeks later. Over 6500 half marathoners last weekend enjoyed the start of their bloom. The trees in the photos will have to endure the big reconstruction of the old main Post Office across the street but I am sure the future residents of the new towers will enjoy these last blooms of the downtown cherry blossom season midway through spring this year.

     

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  10. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    Now it's 'Shiro-fugen' time. Actually, it's past 'Shiro-fugen' time, but unlike the 'Shogetsu', that have no flowers left at all, these flowers are hanging on and turning pink, while still, and for weeks to come, there will be the occasional new white flower appearing.
    20170514_1239WGeorgiaBute_Shirofugen_Cutler_134210.jpg 20170514_1239WGeorgiaBute_Shirofugen_Cutler_134229.jpg 20170514_1239WGeorgiaBute_Shirofugen_Cutler_134425.jpg

    While you're there, you can see Bruce Walther's mosaic "Return of the Wild", on the nearest corner of Bute and Georgia.
    20170514_GeorgiaBute_Mosaic-ReturnOfTheWild-BruceWalther_Cutler_134644.jpg
     
  11. Willard

    Willard Generous Contributor

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    20180207_DevonianHarbourPk_Whitcomb_Willard_1.jpg 20180207 DevonianPk Whitcomb Willard 2.jpg 20180207 DevonianPk Whitcomb Willard 3.jpg

    The lone 'Whitcomb' at Devonian Harbour Park is blooming about 50%. Flowering about the same time as last year, but without the snow.
     
    Last edited: Feb 8, 2018
  12. yaletowner

    yaletowner Active Member 10 Years

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  13. Joseph Lin

    Joseph Lin Active Member 10 Years

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    Good job. It seems we will have normal year of cherry blossom,
    we had good shows of Akebono blossom at Burrard Station on April 4 in 2013 and April 3 in 2014.

    If there is no extreme cold climate in next two months,
    we may have full blossom or with some withering of Akebono at Burrard Station
    at Downtown Cherry Jam on Thursday, April 5, this year.
    Cherry Jam Downtown Concert - Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival

    Happy lunar new year (Feb. 16)
     
  14. Willard

    Willard Generous Contributor

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  15. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    First lame photo at Burrard Station - an annual tradition

    I don't believe I've ever got this first 'Akebono' of the year photo in focus, so I'm not apologizing for this one. It's part of the tradition. I swear these were not open on my first walk around the block of trees, but five minutes later, here they are. I was reading something earlier about trees having feelings - maybe they felt my pain, knew it was the third day they'd seen me circling the block and somehow knew I couldn't be here tomorrow.
    Akebono_BurrardStation_Cutler_20180316_160721.jpg
    Douglas Justice, in the March 2018 in the Garden | UBC Botanical Garden blog says "March is a tricky month for predicting flowers. The weather prognosticators have gotten a little better over the years, but predicting more than two weeks in advance can be a dangerous business." Still, I think it's a sure thing that Joseph was right and these will be in bloom for the Cherry Jam on April 5 (and Joseph Lin's Downtown walk in Mandarin), and the 'Akebono' at Oppenheimer Park will surely be in bloom for Egan Davis's Strathcona walk on April 8. Whether they will be out for my Easter Parade (April 1) is something else again. You can read about all our walks at Tree Talks & Walks - Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival.

    Here's a record, a little approximate, of the first flower/peak bloom dates for these trees since we've been posting in this forum.

    upload_2018-3-16_18-7-49.png
     

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    Last edited: Mar 16, 2018
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  16. Joseph Lin

    Joseph Lin Active Member 10 Years

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  17. yaletowner

    yaletowner Active Member 10 Years

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    These now mature Akebono's between Firehall/Lupo Restaurant and VPL Central on Hamilton St. are pink buds this afternoon and could burst into full blossom soon.
    Downtown
     

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  18. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    Wow - they are very close, farther along than any I've seen.
     
  19. yaletowner

    yaletowner Active Member 10 Years

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    The granite plaques have stood the test of time as have the 100 akebono's that are just starting their 2018 bloom

     

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  20. yaletowner

    yaletowner Active Member 10 Years

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    And yes, these now mature Akebono's are back in bloom on Seabreeze Walk / Cycling path.

     
  21. yaletowner

    yaletowner Active Member 10 Years

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    The Akebono is in full bloom today and the nearby Shirotae are starting as well.

     

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  22. yaletowner

    yaletowner Active Member 10 Years

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    They are still in full bloom and might still be looking good for the upcoming Easter weekend. Meanwhile it looks like it will be a full on Akebono Easter display around Yaletown (David Lam Park, Seabreeze Walk) and then into the West end on W Georgia south side west of Bute.
     
  23. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    I don't even consider these 'Akebono' trees to be in full bloom, but they are good enough for photo ops, and they could be in full bloom on Sunday for my Easter Parade, part of the Tree Talks & Walks - Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival.
    These were posted here when they were just new and now they really add something to this walkway along Coal Harbour between Jervis and Nicola.
    Akebono_CoalHarbour-Nicola_Cutler_20180328_154824.jpg Akebono_CoalHarbour-Nicola_Cutler_20180328_154947.jpg

    This single 'Akebono' is near the Bayshore Hotel's outdoor pool on the north side of the building.
    Akebono_Bayshore_Cutler_20180328_155550.jpg

    These off Bayshore Drive, west of the hotel, will make for good photos on Sunday.
    Akebono_BayshoreDrive_Cutler_20180328_154042.jpg

    So I was thinking of separating the Stanley Park "neighbourhood" from Downtown and the West End, as things seem so far behind in blooming in the park. For instance, these 'Akebono' in Devonian Harbour Park, just before Stanley Park on Denman Street, two blocks from the previous photo, are not at all in bloom, not a flower open.
    Akebono_DevonianHarbourPark_Cutler_20180328_162348.jpg Akebono_DevonianHarbourPark_Cutler_20180328_162445.jpg

    But then at the end of the Devonian Harbour Park,, like a block away, at the edge of Stanley Park, these trees are pretty much in bloom, except for one, which is not dead, has a lot of buds, just none open yet.
    Akebono_DevonianHarbourPark_Cutler_20180328_163322.jpg

    On the other side of the pedestrian/bike tunnel, this group also has a lot of open flowers.
    Akebono_DevonianHarbourPark_Cutler_20180328_163415.jpg

    So I'll just leave the neighbourhoods as they are.
     
    Last edited: Apr 8, 2019
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  24. yaletowner

    yaletowner Active Member 10 Years

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    Well this indicates that the COV considers the Westend and Stanley Park to be separate areas. OTOH Parks Board manages Community Centres with Westend and Coal Harbour as a single area. VCBF is not constrained to follow COV or Parks Board and the existing definitions seem to work ok for COV. As we get more info though from other cities in Metro Van ( more than 20), it might be useful to distinguish their neighborhoods too.
     
  25. yaletowner

    yaletowner Active Member 10 Years

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    Well the Yaletown seawall Akebono trees are in bloom now and there are 3 nice ones now in Coopers Park near the Cambie Bridge.

     

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