IN THE YARD: Flowering cherries and redbuds

Photo provided by the LSU AgCenter -- Look for Taiwan Flowering Cherry trees along Highland Road. Their fruit attracts birds in early spring.

IN THE YARD

BY ED CULLEN

Mild as this winter’s been, we’ll remember it for gray skies and rain.

At our house, we’ve harvested a few snow peas for salads or sauteed them. We eat the peas uncooked in salads of black-seeded Simpson, romaine, arugula and red sails lettuce with green onions and bell pepper harvested up to the first killing cold. We cut up the bell pepper to freeze for later use.

On the grayest of days, I get a lift from the sight of the Taiwan flowering cherries along Highland Road. Redbuds, sometimes confused with the Oriental cherries, follow in the Baton Rouge blooming cycle.

The photos above may help you distinguish the two flowering trees.

Ed Cullen

Advocate staff writer