Red Ume (Japanese apricot) flowers: Engaku-ji

In late winter, although the coldness and paleness are lingering stubbornly, the vivid red flowers of Ume have started blooming with all their might to nobly declare the approaching of warm spring.

I wonder why these noble flowers bloom so early as if to eagerly confront the severity of the remaining winter. The insects that help pollinate these flowers are yet to show themselves in this chilly garden.

I know that bearing flowers must be a painstaking process for any plant. These small spring flowers never tell the reason why they are blooming too early. They just keep blooming elegantly, while quietly withstanding the residue of wintry bitterness.