A collection of fresh blooms from Collingwood Street in San Francisco, California.

Cherry Blossoms In Japanese culture, cherry blossoms represent the ephemeral nature of life. The transience of the blossoms is a reminder life is beautiful and tragically short. The entire blooming period lasts only 14 days.

14 days until death.

California Poppies Known as California's state flower, the native plant thrives in well-drained soil. Soggy soil can result in growth failure and soil that's too fertile can trigger foliage growth instead of flower growth.

10 weeks until death.

Red Gerbera Daisies Gerbera daisies are perennials, but they are commonly treated as annuals. With certain tricks and techniques, it's possible to keep gerbera daisy blooms thriving for a long time, even to make them re-flower within a single season. The blooming period typically lasts 6 to 8 weeks and die back at the end of the season.

6 to 8 weeks until death becomes us.

It's rare for something to last longer than a season in the heart of the Castro without proper deadheading.