The flowers from one of the earliest of the bulb varieties I planted late last year have started to emerge. Here’s gladiolus tristis:
Lovely aren’t they? There are many stems of these, with more and more opening every day! More on these and other bulbs later…
-cvj
On this day on Asymptotia...
- Festival of Books - 2008
Some Related Asymptotia Posts (not exhaustive):
One of the amazing “facts” I’ve read recently is that long stemmed roses cost the same dollar figure in the 1920s as they do today, about $10 or $20 per stem. This meant that a dozen roses was an unimaginably expensive gift back then. I don’t know whether to believe this or not.
Meanwhile, the latest junk science update on the Koide formula:
[snip... of a large amount of really quite irrelevant material. Sorry. -cvj]
What beautiful, delicate flowers! I’ve had a wonderful surprise in my garden in the last couple of weeks. When we moved in last September, I couldn’t identify a particular tree. It is in fact a magnolia and has just started flowering with the most glorious deep pink blossoms. I’m slightly apprehensive though as snow is forecast this week!
A great sign of spring. Why just today, here near Detroit, it’s snowing. Which is a sign of… what?
I’m afraid i’m not a fan of cut flowers - roses or otherwise. “Bring em home and watch em die.”
If sunsets are nature’s “art” of the sky, then certainly flowers are the art of the ground. But even better - these have fragrance! What do these smell like to you? I gather your garden must be an interesting mix of fragrances, including the wonderful smell of tomato vines, which I love. (In fact, there are candles made with that fragrance.) So, yes a lovely flower in two ways.
Mary Cole, magnolia blossoms, at least white magnolias, are one of my favorites - large, robust, with a wonderful fragrance (and their trees grow to be quite large). Lucky you!
Hi TBB,
Yes, the scents of the gladiolus flowers are wonderful, and I alse love the smell tht comes from a tomato plant… but you know what? It is all hugely dominated now by this enormous swath of jasmine that is blooming in a nearby part of the garden. Will do a post on that in a day or two.
Hi Mary,
It is wonderful that you have a magnolia. They are great. I have been wondering if there might be a dwarf variety I can put in my garden as I’ve not room for a big tree… Of course, I can just enjoy them as I see them around the city. Many of the city’s trees are in bloom now….
Hi Stephen,
Good luck with the snow. I can’t think of any profound answer to your question as to what it is a sign of. Spring will be with you soon, and you’ll be all the more glad for it after a cold spell.
Best,
-cvj
Clifford,
You could try Magnolia Grandiflora (’Little Gem’) or Magnolia Stellata (’Royal Star’).