Glorious redbuds

Today’s favorite tree is the redbud (Cercis canadensis, below), and with the Virginia roadsides erupting into splendid color, how could I resist? In fact, my infatuation with redbuds extends far beyond their weeks long period of bloom. The mid-spring magnolias (‘Elizabeth’, ‘Yellowbird’, and ‘Daybreak’) are coming into flower in early April, fortunately with decreasing chances…