Local fruit trees bloomed early this year… but then they were lucky, because they did not get hit by a frost afterwards. See third picture down on my March 22 post for this plum in bloom. Now it’s full of fruit.
Other places were not so lucky: this year’s tart cherry harvest in Michigan, New York, and Wisconsin, for instance, is expected to be the smallest ever. I bought farmer’s market sour cherries, as I generally know them, the other day for $4/pint; they were from New Jersey. BTW, if you’re not familiar with this type of cherry, also known as pie cherries, which have a brief season and limited vendors (most people, who know no better, want the sweet ones, which tend to be rather insipid), you must seek them out: they are ones you bake with, make cordials out of, etc.
here in north little rock, arkansas, we are staying on the arkansas river. there is one cherry tree in one of two grassy place. we are rv traveling. wishing i were here to see the cherry blossoms.