MARIETTE'S BACK TO BASICS

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Saint Patrick's Festival is a big event here in Dublin, Georgia and we have all month something going on and LOTS of green is being worn!
Here I like to show you some OLD pictures from 1995 where we had plenty of narcissus blooming and also our fragrant Clematis Armandii vine was in full bloom.
This year; none of these! Sad for having to miss them... Only the pictures of years where they were blooming can give us joy.
Below you find a post about our fragrant 1916 heirloom Thalia narcissus as well as our Clematis Armandii vine with its Fragrant Blooms... It was a dream in 2011!

Here I am wearing a Burda Pattern Jacket - My Sewing Creation.
Skirt is Michael Kors
Silk blouse is Michael Kors
Shoes are patent leather from Bruno Magli from Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5th Outlet.

Seen are also our fragrant 1916 heirloom Thalia - latest of our Daffodils but this year NONE of them bloomed...

How is your crop of spring flowers doing this year?

Related links:
{Burda Pattern Jacket - My Sewing Creation} | previous post by me
{Our Clematis Armandii - Fragrant Blooms on Evergreen Vine} | previous post by me
{Our fragrant 1916 heirloom Thalia - latest of our Daffodils} | previous post by me
{Heirloom 1916 Thalia Orchid Narcissus & Ipheion Star Flower in Our Garden} | previous post by me

Probably not many readers from outside the USA do know the Mailbox system that we have here. Very convenient and with a red flag that we can raise for the mailman, to indicate that he has to take out some outgoing mail. He then will lower the raised flag and we know that the mail has been taken/delivered. No needless trips to be made to the road where the mailbox stands.
Our German 'son' did take such a US Mailbox home for his Grandmother so she didn't have to walk through rain or snow in vain for checking the mail. That was a very thoughtful gift from him! They had to educate their rural mail carrier how it was supposed to be done and it worked fine ever since.
So let's have a look at those mailboxes in rural Georgia/USA.

When people do come home from work, from their car they can open up the lid and take their mail or parcel out. Those boxes do contain quite a lot of mail.
Contrary to the narrow slit for pushing letter mail through mailboxes, mainly inside front doors, in The Netherlands. Anything that will not pass through the opening is considered parcel post and will be delivered at a higher rate and separately.
The green box is provided by the local Newspaper The Courier Herald.

Bet in Canada, Australia and New Zealand it can be very rural too.

This is the second year in a row that we missed out on our otherwise gorgeous Japanese Magnolia blossoms. We had some late frost and all the buds turned brown...
Sad sight as this is such a show case for early spring; mostly on my Mom's Birthday which is February 12.
In 2011 we had lovely blossoms on both of our magnolia trees and previous also in 2004. Below you see some photos of that lucky year... Also more links below post.
Let me show you our 4 dreary looking, surviving blossoms that I photographed today. They were the late bloomers but still got some frost damage, as is shown below.

Frost damage and also the color is not optimal. Their botanical name is Magnolia x soulangeana.
This photo is taken on Sunday afternoon before we took a walk.
Lovely weather.

Our biggest Magnolia tree did not have a single blossom; all turned brown from late frost.

Closer towards the gazebo, showing the 2nd Magnolia tree in 2004.
This Magnolia tree took quite a blow when a big tree fell into it and broke off a big branch.

Are you having more luck with your Japanese Magnolia or Magnolia x soulangeana trees this year?

Related links:
{SPRING 2011 IS GRADUATING!} | Previous post by me
{Sculptured Watercolors by Patsy Gullett since 1981} | Previous post by me, showing our Magnolias too
{MORE BLOSSOMS IN OUR BOTANICAL GARDEN} | Previous post by me
{Our Camellia Sinensis Tea Plant and Japanese Magnolia} | Previous post by me