Will blossoms blossom in time for the resurrection of the Leelanau Cherry Blossom Tour?

Despite overuse of the word "blossom" - you can’t have too many of them with the tour approaching in nine days - we posed the question to cherry farmer Don Gregory.

He punted the question to a higher authority.

“If we get some warm weather, we should be in pretty good shape,” said Gregory, who said as of Monday frost had not damaged buds in his orchards.

Bob and Don Gregory, owners of Cherry Bay Orchards near Omena, plan to host tour patrons at their farm as one of two stops planned on the route. Travelers will also have an opportunity to take in vistas offered from St. Wenceslaus Church in Gills Pier.

The tour will start and end at the Connie Binsfeld Building in Lake Leelanau.

The Leelanau Cherry Blossom Tour has roots dating into the 1940s. A story in the May 13, 1948, Leelanau Enterprise laments having to put off the tour until May 23 because cold weather had delayed blooms.

“The Leelanau County tour, under the auspices of the County Horticultural Society, will be entirely informal but roads will be clearly marked to enable drivers to see the most blossoms in the shortest time,” read the article.

Patrons of the 2008 tour may also drive their cars, although taking a bus provided by BATA might prove move informative. Three recently retired volunteers familiar with Leelanau County and the cherry industry have agreed to ride the buses while providing local history and industry insights. They are Judy Egeler, former executive director of the Leelanau Conservation District; Jim Nugent, former director of the Northwest Michigan Horticultural Research Center; and Jim Bardenhagen, former county Extension director.

The Leelanau Cherry Blossom Tour will be centered at the Connie Binsfeld Building from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Buses equipped with handicap ramps will leave every 20 minutes for one-hour tours. Maps will also be available for those who want to drive the tour in their own vehicles.

The tour will provide a chance for Leelanau to show itself off, according to Tom Nelson, director of farm programs for the Leelanau Conservancy. The Leelanau Conservation District, Conservancy and Leelanau Enterprise are the primary sponsors.

“Agriculture is a big part of what makes Leelanau, Leelanau,” said Nelson. “And it’s great to have a blossom tour to show off this unique resource for everyone to see.”

Other reasons to take the tour: Cherry bratwursts and other goodies will be available at no charge while supplies last starting at 11:30 a.m., and a vocal quartet will perform from 1-2 p.m.

One ingredient is still on the way. That’s cherry blossoms.

Peak blossom time has been on the move for the past 10 or so years, coming earlier due to changes in the weather. May 10 was chosen as a date when earlier sweet or later tart varieties are generally in bloom. The perfect scenario would be a combination of both.
“We got some movement last week,” said Gregory, as cherry buds in Leelanau grew closer to blossoms. “We should have sweet cherries (for the tour),” he said.