It’s the ultimate irony, really—yesterday’s kickoff of the centennial National Cherry Blossom Festival came at the tail end of the cherry blossoms’ peak bloom and a day after rains swept through the city, knocking many of the distinctive pink and white petals to the ground. That’s not going to stop any of our intrepid local photographers, though, who snapped a number of pictures of the cherry blossoms in their waning days. (Check out the before pics here.)

All told, it was a great year for the cherry blossoms. Despite a peak bloom that seemed more like a moving target than a set date, residents and visitors alike enjoyed a week of uninterrupted warm weather in which to stroll along the Tidal Basin and celebrate the 100-year-old trees.