Before the Lilacs

Highland Park is one of the "Emerald Necklace" of parks in Rochester, NY.  The city is fortunate to have multiple parks designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the father of American Landscape Architecture.  Perhaps the gem in the necklace, Highland Park is the site of the annual Lilac Festival, where people from far afield come to appreciate the blooms and fragrances as the locals celebrate the long-awaited coming of spring.

But the park is well worth visiting long before the festival.  Here are far too many pictures from three visits on all the nice days in April.

Daffodils enjoying the bright sun.

A carpet of blue surrounds the still-sleeping giant.

The promise of beauty not-quite-yet fulfilled.

Does the stately pine scoff at the need for warmth of the "weaker" plants?

Do not weep at the beauty.

Enjoy the beauty with friends.

Presentation is important.

A tree with striking white bark.
Damned if I know what it is named.

But it sure is pretty.

Everyone loves a walk in the park on a sunny day,
particularly after 6 months of winter.

A Paperbark Maple.
What did the Chinese call this tree prior to the invention of paper?

I love the greenish yellow flowers of the maples.
The street where we've lived for over 30 years is lined with them.
For me, the appearance of their blossoms
 is the official announcement of the miracle of Spring.

I'm going to say these blossoms arise from the Silver maples,
but you can correct me if you know the trees are Communists or from Scandinavia.

Rhododendrons!

Clear blue sky!
Things are lookin' up!

Presentation is still important a few weeks later.

More weeping.

Young love, 2017.
Texting each other in an idyllic setting.

These daffodils make me smile.

Can you hear the 5-part harmony?

The white petals of the "Who-knows?" tree against the sky.

No less pretty without the fine background.

Even leaves are splendid when lit by the sun.

A nice bunch.

I was thinking Oriole, but closer inspection revealed a robin way up above.

Even some of the not-yet-flowered bushes are interesting.

Another person preparing to take too many pictures.

A lovely place for a person to sit and text.
I hope this one is not illicitly involved with the other texters.

The paths provide a fine place for dogs to guide their masters.

Back again, the magnolias are spectacular.

Subtle coloration accented by the evening rays.

A burst of white.

White to "bright mauve"

And back to white

"How do you like these, Bud?"

Everywhere you look, fabulous flowers.

Taking a break while the photographer indulges in excess.

But wait, there's more!

And more!

And more!!!!

Time to break free from the magnolias.

The rhododendrons continue to be spectacular.

A lovely what's-it.

Another view.

OK, as you've probably noticed, I'm well past semi-worthwhile comment.  So just feast your eyes on the following images.

Just love the maples.

A different and no less lovely bundle of daffodils.

A good place for a dog to get attention.

It's a great year for redbuds.

Even past prime, many are quite pretty.

Redundant?  Maybe.
Gorgeous?  Certainly.

If they like trilliums,
This'll be thrilling 'em.

Oh so delicate.

The recent windstorms did not completely spare the park.

As much as for the flora,
I took this picture to capture the lamp post.
It is of the same design as those under which
I played in the failing light on summer nights
until my Mom called me home for the evening.

Exhausted from all that?
Sit on the bench and just relax.

And all this before the main event.  This year, the Lilac Festival runs Friday, May 12 through Sunday, May 21.  People will mob the place to see the lilacs and just revel in the aroma on the hillside.  

If you can't make it, just put your nose up to the screen and sniff these early blooms.