Hello and welcome to my blog! I’m glad you’re here. It’s week 19 in 2022 and I’m hosting Weekend Coffee Share linkup #69. Come on in for a cup of coffee or tea and let’s chat.
May is mid-spring in Toronto and beautiful flowers are in bloom everywhere. This week has been sunny with daytime high temperatures ranging from 16C to 24C (60F to 75F). I enjoyed some lovely walks and two stunning floral events: Sakuras and Fleurs de Villes.
Sakuras (Cherry Blossoms)
Sakura trees have a long history in Toronto as written here. Since Sakura peak bloom only lasts about a week, I was happy to see the beautiful and delicate flowers before they’re gone. Just walking under the trees and enjoying spring weather is a wonderful experience.
The easiest way to spot the difference between a cherry, plum, or peach flower is by observing the petal’s natural shape. Cherry blossoms have a unique cleft at the tip of their petals, which add to their pretty features and incredible popularity.
Cherry blossoms also have long stems that attach them to the branch from a single bud. One bud can produce more than one flower and you see whole branches of trees covered in pink, pale pink, or white.
Since April 1959 when the first 2000 Somei-yoshino sakura trees were presented to the citizens of Toronto on behalf of the citizens of Tokyo, Toronto has planted many Sakura trees in different parts of the city for its residents to enjoy every spring. I feel fortunate to see Sakuras close to home.
Fleurs de Villes 2022
The Fleurs de Villes event returned to Toronto’s Bloor-Yorkville neighbourhood from May 4 to 8, 2022. This year’s theme is Femmes to celebrate remarkable women and raise funds for breast cancer research. The trail displayed over thirty stunning fresh floral designs by incredibly talented florists.
My slideshow below includes ten pictures of the fourteen incredible floral mannequins inspired by a remarkable woman – each with a unique story, and each making a profound impact. Click on the arrows or swipe to see the images.
Sophia Loren mannequin created by Zuhoor Designs 
Margaret Atwood mannequin created by Pyrus Floral Design 
Viola Desmond mannequin created by Blooming Flower Bar 
Buffy Sainte-Marie mannequin created by Florigens Design 
Elizabeth Taylor mannequin created by Hana Floral Design & Co. 
Laura Secord mannequin created by Narbail Designs 
Jane Austen mannequin created by Flower Snob 
Ella Fitzgerald mannequin created by Windflower Florals and Events Inc. 
Catherine O’Hara mannequin created by Vogue Weddings and Decor 
Princess Diana mannequin created by Henna Florist
There are fun floral designs as well, such as a bike, a phone booth, a swing, a heart, a heart-shaped frame and Mom since the event ended on Sunday May 8th which was Mother’s Day in Canada. The fresh flowers were gorgeous to see up close and their scent was lovely.
I enjoyed my walks and all the fresh flowers that I’ve seen this week.
How has your week been?
Shared with #SpringFestival2022, #PPAC, #SundayStills, #CellpicSunday.
Copyright © 2022 natalietheexplorer.home.blog – All rights reserved.
Natalie the Explorer 
Fabulous photos of the blossoms and the mannequins, very artistic
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Thank you, Alison. Both floral events were stunning. I’m pleased you liked my photos. Have a great weekend!
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You too Natalie 🙂
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Our Sakura trees, cheery trees bloomed a little late and have been beaten by the big wind for over a week. My garden says it is snowing pink.
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I’m sorry to hear your cherry blossoms have been beaten by the big wind. The Sakura petals are pretty. When they fall, they look like confetti.
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The cherry blossoms are so delicate and beautiful Natalie, and those flower arrangements were lovely too – it must have been a real joy to walk around and also to smell them at the same time.
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Hi Leanne, I enjoyed both floral events. They were beautiful. The floral scents were soft, too, nothing overwhelming.
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I like the Buffy Sainte-Marie mannequin. Tres chic. Lovely to see photos of cherry blossoms. Was it wonderful to walk among them, smell the scent?
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It was a wonderful sensory treat, Ally. The scent was nice and gentle. I was fortunate to see cherry blossoms in different parks in the city. When the petals fell from the trees, they were like confetti.
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Beautiful flower displays, Natalie. So creative and unique. I think there might be a cherry blossom tree in the neighborhood where we currently are staying for a couple of weeks. Based on your info about the petals, I will confirm this – or not – on our next walk with Maya.
I’m glad you had lovely weather this past week. We have been dealing with cold, snow, sleet, fog, and rain in the Pacific Northwest. Yikes!
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Liesbet, That’s quite a change in weather for you. I hope the tree in your neighbourhood is a cherry blossom tree and the poor weather conditions don’t destroy the flowers before you get to see them. Have a great weekend!
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Gorgeous cherry blossom and I love those floral displays. As ever, a lovely post to read with ny Saturday breakfast!
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I’m pleased to share the gorgeous flowers with you virtually. Happy weekend!
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I’m not knowledgeable about which flower is which but they make a fine appearance
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Thank you Larry for your comment. Have a great weekend!
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Thank you Natalie. Same to you
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Oh my goodness these are gorgeous. A little bit of beauty to look at as the rain comes down outside.
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I hope you get just the right amount of rain and then the sky clears up.
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Breathtaking Natalie! The blossoms are so beautiful and uplifting and the Fleurs de Villes is a gorgeous exhibition. I don’t really have words to adequately describe. Thanks for sharing with us and you’ve brightened my morning. Enjoy your week! #weekendcoffeeshare
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Sue, I’m pleased to brighten your morning. These two floral events were stunning to see IRL. Have a wonderful weekend!
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Your Spring has sprung! Beautiful and so joyful! I love the flower display photos!
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Glad you loved the flower displays. The florists did a fantastic job.
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Oh my, Natalie… this post was a feast for the eyes. The cherry blossoms are gorgeous and those mannequins are true works of art! Thank you for sharing all of that beauty.
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You’re welcome, Janis. I’m pleased you like my post and photos. These two events were stunning to see IRL. If there is ever a Fleurs de Villes event in your city, I highly recommend to go and see it.
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Oh I love the floral mannequins Natalie – lovely photos of spring’s arrival!
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Hi Debbie, The florists did a fantastic job with their floral designs on the mannequins. I’m pleased you love them.
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These flower women are fabulous. Elizabeth Taylor, Princess Di, and Sophia Loren are my favorites, but they are all amazing. The cherry blossoms are exquisite. Thanks for this beautiful post.
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You’re welcome, Marsha. I’m glad you like my post. I thought Sophia Loren with her Vespa and Jane Austen sitting up high had all the fun 🙂 Princess Diana mannequin was full of fresh orchids, just exquisite to see IRL.
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The statues made an exquisite post, too.
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I love cherry blossoms and also dogwood trees. They don’t last long though. Plus they make a mess when they die and fall off the trees.
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We also have dogwood trees here. I view the fallen flowers as organic compost.
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Just the most glorious time of year, Natalie! Fabulouus photos. Have a great weekend!
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Jo, May has been a beautiful month here. I’ll share this post with your upcoming Monday Walk when you post it. Have a great weekend!
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Thanks darlin 🤗🌸🌺💕
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The cherry blossoms are very pretty! This is such a beautiful time of the year. Have a wonderful weekend Natalie!
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Maria, I agree this is a beautiful time of the year. Happy weekend to you, too.
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Thank you!
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It’s amazing how you come with something beautiful to show us from your walks or cycling trips every week. Toronto looks so nice through your pictures:)
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Thank you Moumita for your kind comments. Toronto is a big city with layers of beauty. I barely scratch the surface. I’m pleased you like Toronto through my pictures. Have a great weekend!
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The trees are awesome but those floral creations are over the top! Wow. Who dreams up these things!
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Those floral creations are incredible to see IRL. This was my 3rd time attending a Fleurs de Villes event. I highly recommend it. There is no admission fee.
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Thanks for sharing these little factoids about cherry blossoms and specifically about Toronto’s sakura trees.
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You’re welcome, Astrid. I thought I’d mention them as not many people knows about Toronto and Tokyo Sakura connections, and how to differentiate cherry blossom from plum or peach blossom.
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Cherry blossoms are gorgeous, and it looks like you are having a glorious year with them this year. The flowers for the festival all look great as well. have a good weekend and a wonderful week ahead 🙂
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Thank you Trent for stopping by. Both floral events were amazing. Have a great weekend!
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Darn! I missed the Fleurs de Villes this year!
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The upcoming FdV event is on May 20-29 in Montreal Complexe Desjardins if you plan to be in Montreal.
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These are beautiful Natalie. I didn’t know the difference between the different trees.
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Kirstin, I’m pleased you like my pictures. Glad to share tidbits about the different trees with you.
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Those pink cherry blossoms are so pretty. It is nice to be entering the time of year where flowers surround us. You Ontario folks are a bit ahead of us in northern Alberta for weather and flowers.
Thanks for the virtual coffee Natalie.
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Thank you Shari for stopping by. Southern Ontario has had a beautiful, sunny and warm week so the trees and flowers are blooming at high speed. I hope the nice weather arrives soon for you.
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Hi, Natalie – I love Sakura trees and wish that their beautiful blossoms lasted longer. I’m jealous of your warm and sunny spring temperatures. Our spring weather this year ha been consistently cold and wet. Yesterday it even hailed! Sigh!
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Wow, Donna, seems unusual that it hailed in VI in mid-May. I hope the nice weather arrives soon in your area and you get beautiful weather for your camino in PEI.
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What beautiful flowers and floral sculptures. I love the Sakura trees and Princess Diana is my favorite mannequin; probably because of all those white and pink tones that do remind me of cherry trees and spring.
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Yes, the Princess Diana mannequin was dressed up in fresh orchids. It looked beautiful outdoors in the sunshine.
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I love Sakura trees. my son got married in Japan just as the trees were dying so seeing them always reminds me of that special day.
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What special memories you have with Sakura trees! I love Japan.
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I love all your flowers and I bet they smell fresh and aromatic, Natalie! The Fleur de Villes event looks spectacular–must be time-consuming to put all those flowers into the various patterns. We drove to the south part of Spokane yesterday afternoon for a family event and were amazed that spring is finally in full force here. Lots of cherry trees, dogwoods and the spring green new growth. I am so happy to hop into your coffee share as well.
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Terri, The cherry blossoms and the Fleurs de Villes event were both beautiful and aromatic. The scent was soft and gentle, too. The florists did an amazing job with the fresh flower arrangements and they kept them fresh for five days in the sun or indoors. In Toronto, we’ve had a full week of sunshine and above normal temperatures which accelerated plant growths. The green leaves and blooms seem to appear overnight at an astonishing speed. Thank you for linking up with #weekend coffee share. Have a wonderful week ahead!
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Thanks for sharing on my Cellpic Sunday Challenge, Natalie. I would love to visit Toronto at the right time to see the cherry blossoms. Timing is everything. On more than one trip to D.C., I’ve missed them either too early or too late. 🙂
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Thank you John for hosting Cellpic Sunday. Cherry blossoms usually happen in late April or early May. We even have Blossom Watch to monitor the stages of the blooms. I hope you get to see them IRL in the future. Have a wonderful week ahead!
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I adore those Cherry Blossoms!
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They were stunning at peak bloom.
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Wow, so very beautiful and colorful. So love it. thanks for sharing all the beauty with us.
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Thank you for stopping by Patrick. Have a great week ahead!
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Oh Natalie, I am in flower heaven with your post!! The Cherry blossom trees are truly AMAZING!!! I LOVED all your photos too. The flower mannequins are beautiful and artsy, so creative and so many pretty, pretty flowers!!! I can see that maybe Toronto is a place to visit in the Spring! I hope you have a wonderful week ahead and thank you so much for hosting #weekendcoffeeshare! ❤
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Hi Diana, I’m pleased you love my photos 🙂 I feel fortunate to see cherry blossoms every spring without having to go to Japan. Now in May we move on to tulips (gifts from the Netherlands) and they’re so beautiful, too. Spring and Fall are good months to visit Toronto. The temperatures are comfortable and plants display their best blooms and colours. Have a great week ahead! I’m off to to read your blog shortly.
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Beautiful photos! Lovely flowers! The cherry blossoms don’t look much different from the apple blossoms–this is a great time of year!
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Thank you, Dawn, for your comments. Spring has been bringing so many beautiful blooms. Have a great week!
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Thank you! You too! 😊
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I want to walk where you’ve been walking! Lovely floral arrangements and what an explosion of pink!
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The cherry blossoms at peak bloom were stunning. May brings lilacs, tulips, and more flowers this week.
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