The Japanese magnolia tree in my neighbor’s yard this afternoon. Yankee readers, I’m sorry. You have my permission to hold it over my head come August.
Postcard From A Southern Winter
16 Responses to Postcard From A Southern Winter
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thomas tucker says:
Oh, you can bet on that.
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One of my daughters celebrated a birthday last week. We went to the Japanese Garden at the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens (website is here:)
http://fwbg.org/gardens/japanese/
Temperatures in the low 70s, breezy and overcast. Absolutely perfect.
Of course, the daughter whose birthday is in June has to plan indoor activities, as we learned after a few years in this region.
So it’s fair. Sort of. -
Rosie Land says:
I have marked the calendar for 1 August, “Revenge on Rod.”
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Charles Cosimano says:
We will remember you fondly come hurricane season.
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MH - Secular Misanthropist says:
I love magnolia trees, so the picture is certainly welcome. It will be several months before they bloom here. But when they do a walk along the pedestrian walkway on Commonwealth Ave is in order.
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Sands says:
August? The heat and humidity will be oppressive well before then.
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Jack says:
Beautiful tree!
This Massachusetts Yankee has a real evergreen “southern magnolia” in his backyard, growing beautifully (I live on the very southern tip of Mass coast—zone 7). Today its large lustrous green leaves were dusted lightly with a little snow. And oh…..right next to it is a very large crape myrtle that is big enough to shade my patio. Climate change is moving the iconic southern landscape northward (with a little help from me!).
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Rjak says:
That looks awful. Being in DC (as I currently am) where one gets maybe a dusting or two is bad enough, but to have to go a whole winter with no snowballs, snow angels, snow men, no White Christmas, no football in the snow? This Swedish-descended Michigander would never willingly endure such a travesty!
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Naturalmom says:
I’m not a big fan of our Michigan winters, but on this winter day, we have snow softly falling, the black tree branches outlined in white, that muffled quiet that a fresh blanket of snow brings, and temperatures cold enough to keep the snow, but well above zero. If you are bundled properly (from head to toe) and keeping active, it’s not uncomfortable. We have a sledding outing on tap for later today. The magnolia makes me think fondly of spring, but on a day like today, I can wait a little longer.
Check back in a month and I’ll be singing a different tune…
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Nickp says:
Beautiful! I used to find it surprising how well Chinese and Japanses species adapt to the southeastern US. Then I visited Japan. When it comes to humidity, the deep south has nothing on Tokyo in the summer.
(pedantic note: “Japanese” magnolia is actually a Chinese species.)
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Joe Magarac says:
With Rjak on this one. Biking into work today (15 degrees with a nice breeze on the descent into downtown Pittsburgh, with some flurries and a couple inches on the ground) was a great way to get the day started. Taking my kids sledding on the weekend, then bringing them home for mom’s hot chocolate, was great too. Every season has its strong suits, and I can’t imagine summarily dismissing winter.
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CW says:
I skied 7K yesterday, 3 of them with my seven-year-old son. It was beautiful out there and the snow was fast. I love the winter. I don’t envy you a thing. I do worry that I’ll have to move futher north if the climate continues to warm.
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The heat down here doesn’t really bother me. That is why God invented A/C and sweet tea.
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Elli says:
You should know that in Central NJ we have wintersweet blooming and perfuming the air, with a dusting of snow at their feet. The hellebore are lifting their buds and one of my neighbors has snowdrops open.
Someone I know further south in Jersey has had Prunus mume blooming for a couple of weeks – I believe I’ll get me one of those.
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rebecca says:
makes me miss north Florida & the Japanese magnolias in the late winter/early spring, not to mention the Grandiflora magnolias in June. The Deep South has its glories, and its travesties (hurricanes, heat & humidity, overwhelming # of bugs & snakes), just like everywhere. Vive La Différence!
I live 7 miles due north of downtown Boston.
Yesterday, my snow crocuses began blooming. 2 days earlier than the previous record set last year (which was 10 days earlier than the previous record). And only 12 days after the lettuce in my raised bed outdoors was finally killed by a sustained freeze.