Magnolia Grandma

For Grandma Ellen.



Would someone (family) mind printing it off for her?

I took this picture back in May at the Birmingham Zoo. Why the zoo? Heck, if Iknow. Zoo...80 first graders...boredom...take your pick.

It's a closeup of a Magnolia bloom. My Grandma Ellen once commented about how pretty Magnolia Trees were (in pictures) and she would love to see a Magnolia Tree. She also heard they were huge. I've never forgotten that comment and, she's right, they're huge and they're beautiful, especially in full bloom. This picture is just a small bloom and it probably would cover my five year old's entire face. Perspective.

However, the darn trees NEVER stop growing and become a nuisance if you don't trim them regularly. Their leaves are huge also, as you can well see and they drop constantly, not just in the fall like most other tree leaves.

The flowers though, only last as long at the first big wind; they are a beautiful contrast of stark white against the very dark green leaves but the white quickly starts to spot brown. Beautiful, nonetheless.

We have a Magnolia on just about every property around us. I was a tad disappointed when we decided to buy our house that there was not even one huge, beautiful Magnolia to be found. Not long after we bought the house, I was commenting to a neighbor that I was mulling over buying a Magnolia sapling. "NO!" she exclaimed, "the trees are a pain and if you don't keep them under control, they're major trouble."

We still have yet to buy a sapling even though I'd love to go against neighborly wisdom and plant one anyway. We do have some neighbors that just let theirs grow out of control and they're quite a sight to see, with limbs extending all the way to the ground that create a cave-like enclosure. My kids like to play under them, as it's cool in temperature and as a fort/playhouse/hideout/club headquarters/chill zone.

Click on the picture and print it, someone, will ya' and then pass this along to Grandma Ellen, with my love.