LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Signs of spring color central Kentucky, and nature lovers have taken advantage of sunny skies to enjoy the outdoors. Some visit parks, others take walks through downtown Lexington. One unlikely location for natural enjoyment sits in the Lexington Cemetery.
For a brief period each spring, the weeping cherry trees in the cemetery become a popular spot for pictures. Throughout the grounds, brown branches burst with blooms of pink and white flowers.
“It’s so exciting that they’re back,” photographer Kaitlyn Silvestri said of the cherry blossoms. “I mean, I’ve been coming out here for the past 10 years shooting clients and it’s always a client favorite.”
The cemetery contains two main picturesque backdrops. The first surrounds a pond, where the trees drape down and dip their swaying limbs close to the water. The second spot involves a road, as the weeping cherries line both sides, covering the asphalt in a pink tunnel.
“Even if it’s cold, man, people will do it,” said another photographer, Tadeo Reyes. “People will come out and do their thing.”
Reyes, owner of F20 Visuals, took couples photos for Stone Sellers and Lauren Greene by the pond.
Greene brought up, “[Stone] said, we’re always going to look back on these pictures and be like, ‘do you remember how cold we were?’”
The popularity of the cherry blossoms this year only increased because of the lack of blossoms in 2023. Last year, the weather conditions kept the trees from showing off their pink and white flowers.
“I had 25 people booked last year and I had to reschedule all of them,” Silvestri said. Now, the flowers have returned. Sunday afternoon, people flocked to the cemetery to see the blossoms, and colder weather on Monday had no effect on keeping more visitors away.
The bright blooms show signs of spring life, something that contrasts greatly with the greens and grays of the cemetery. For just a few days, this place becomes a site to remember those who have gone while celebrating new beginnings.
“My grandparents are actually buried right over here on the street, Silvestri said, “and so I get to come and visit them and see the beautiful cherry blossoms.”
