Inside the Writing Life: It’s Plum Blossom Time

Plum is among the earliest blossoms in New Zealand’s temperate climate, appearing at the end of winter and heralding the imminent arrival of spring proper — and that, dear readers, is pretty much now.

It’s very similar in Japan, I understand, with ume-matsuri, the celebration of plum blossom’s appearance, occurring from around 20 February through early March — and acting as harbinger for the eagerly awaited (and much more famous) sakura, the cherry blossom.

(Japan’s late winter/early spring plu...