Thursday – A Little Personal

~ John W. Howell

So here it is Thursday and I usually post something about my book or  maybe a picture of something. Today is raining and overcast so the picture idea is not a good one. Of course, the Birds of Paradise are blooming nicely. Hold on I’ll be right back. I’m going to see if they are picture worthy. I’m back. Well, they have some soggy and spent blooms but here they are.

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I also took  a photo of our Norfolk pines which are in the front yard to the right side.

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They are definitely getting big. The last photo is of a bush that behaves like a rhododendron but is for sure something else. The blooms are just starting to pop and they have a sweet smell. Here is a shot of the blooms. We don’t know the name. Maybe you can help.

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54 thoughts on “Thursday – A Little Personal”

  2. John, I was going to hurry off to the office this morning and just leave a “like,” but then I got a glimpse of the birds of paradise… gorgeous — so are the pines.
    Things are blooming in DC too. I’m not complaining in the least, but for a week we’ve had temperatures in the mid to upper 70s. That’s way, way, way higher than usual for March. Beautiful sunny warm days. Have a thriving Thursday. Mega hugs.

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  4. The only thing blooming in our yard is one brave little crocus. He popped up earlier in the week, in anticipation of some record breaking warmth. I’d take soggy spent blooms this morning. I have mostly brown beat-by-winter sticks to look at. Thanks for sharing some color John.

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  8. Even with the – or maybe just because of the – rain, the flowers, shrubs and trees looks so good. So vivid.
    Did you get a lot of rain? We got some, but not too much, and could do with quite a bit more. But things are greening and blossoming.
    Have a great day,
    Pit

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  9. The Birds of Paradise are gorgeous. Seems once evergreens get going, they shoot for the sky. Love the smell, especially after rain. I’m a green horn when it comes to knowing the names of plants in the garden.
    Thanks for the share. The proof of spring and the fresh scents lingering in the air are a treat. 😀 😀

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  10. I received Bird of Paradise once in a cut flower bouquet — definitely catches the eye! I love your pines. Just think how pretty they’d be with snow speckling them!! We’ve got rain today, too — on the grey side, but maybe I can get something done, without succumbing to the temptation of Spring Fever!!

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  14. That almost looks like magnolia, John. Especially with the sweet scent you mention and the waxy leaves. My first thought was crepe myrtle, but I think those leaves look too big. Do you have any photos of the flowers in bloom?

    I asked my fellow plant lover Michelle, so maybe she’ll know for sure. My guess is magnolia though.

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      1. Hi! Christy sent me the picture and I thought magnolia, too until I saw how low to the ground it is.
        I’m gonna go to my manual – I am actually a certified master gardener- but only in Shawnee Co. Kansas. Anyone can identify a tumble weed!!!

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      2. Yeah, it was the leaves that got me; very similar shape and waxiness. I was closer with the Hoya guess. 🙂
        I looked up Indian Hawthorn, and I’ll leave it to the experts (Michelle and your local friends) but yes looks like the images matched the one you shared. Fun though! I love learning new plants.

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  15. I love how color has depth on a rainy days and isn’t drowned out by the light. The leaves and flowers look a bit like a red-tipped photinia. We used them as privacy hedges, but they will grow huge if not pruned. They have redder leaves and fewer flowers if they are pruned.

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      1. The leaf shape is not right for a hawthorn. Maybe a southern blackhaw, but again, they don’t have those shiny glossy leaves. I wish we could see more detail of the flowers in the pic. You’ll have to grace us later when it opens up. In GA, with my family in the horticulture business, I thought I knew every plant in the world…and most of them by their Latin names, then I moved to Florida. Learned how really small my part of the world had been.

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