While all the world is out celebrating here we sit, listening to the New York Philharmonic play Gershwin and Bernstein on PBS and extremely content to be at home. I spent the last few hours reading... first about gardening (pulling out my collection of books on magnolias) and then looking through some of my Tiffany library. I'm really starting to anticipate some of my favorite spring plants, including hellebores, epimediums, primulas, and of course; those magnolias.
Spring is still far away... after all, we really haven't had winter yet! We did head to the northwoods earlier this week and traveled through the forests and past the many lakes, all the while enjoying falling snow and the beautiful conifers covered with fresh white.
For now, this eve of the new year, I'm quite content to be thinking about the spring gardens and the bloom that will fill them to overflowing. Magnolias are particularly on my mind as a friend forwarded a letter with photos of some of the hybridizing going on in New Zealand right now... amazing! That's all it took and I'm back on the magnolia kick... even if it is the middle of January!
This spring may bring just a bit of extra excitement as I have three magnolia trees that will bloom for the first time provided the buds make it through the winter. It is always thrilling to see first time bloom on a tree that you've been nursing along for a few years. When I was younger I would get very concerned when a late frost threatened the blooms on young magnolias... I can remember going out in the evening and putting individual 'baggies' (as in 'packing a sandwich' baggie) on buds to save them from being damaged by the cold. You don't do this for long with magnolias... within a couple years, the baggies needed would break the bank.
I hope you enjoy the photos from some of my many magnolia trees... and happy New Year... Larry
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