The Beauty of Faded Magnolias

I'm sure most of us would agree that when it comes to flowers, a magnolia blossom in full bloom truly epitomizes God's glory at its finest.

From its pristine creamy-white petals curling gracefully around its red seed pod ...

to its rich shimmery-dark-green leaves with their contrasting coppery undersides.

I love photographing magnolias and, if you are a regular visitor here at Southern Lagniappe, you know I love sharing those photographs. In fact, here is my most recent post featuring some of my latest magnolia pictures ... Sweet Magnolias

I took those pictures a couple of weeks ago, and now our Little Gem Magnolia trees are full of blossoms in all stages of their blooming cycle ... from rich, creamy white blossoms in full bloom, to blooms with petals withering and fading to brown.

I don't know if you have ever looked closely at the faded blossoms, but I have ... and I think they have a beauty all their own.

I tried to capture some of that beauty with my camera late yesterday afternoon and would like to share those pictures today.

It's hard to believe that just a few days ago, this shriveled petal that now closely resembles an orange-peel ...

... looked similar to this!

Aren't God's magnolias truly awesome creations! Look at what is left after the blossom has faded and dropped its petals ...

It's a seed pod -- filled with the seeds of the next generation of Little Gem Magnolia trees, ready to be cast with the wind, even before this tree has finished its blooming cycle.

What a beautiful testament to God's promise of Life Everlasting!

Sweet Magnolias

Best wishes for a Mother's Day weekend as beautiful and sweet as these Little Gem Magnolia blossoms I captured with my camera yesterday ...

Vicksburg Lagniappe

I spent a few minutes riding around some of the older neighborhoods in Vicksburg this morning, just taking pictures of things that caught my eye.

One of the first things I saw was this pretty porch with its bold red chair and spring green cushion. From its shady spot on the porch, it just beckons you to "come sit a spell" with a book and a glass of something cold (you can click on the images to enlarge them, if you'd like).

Up the street and around the corner, I noticed these pretty purple flowers gracing the front steps of an old Victorian-style house.

I love the flowers, but I'm not so sure about that gargoyle! Here's the old house ...

A couple of houses down from the gargoyles, this beautiful old window with an oval inset caught my eye.

Nothing says, "Home Sweet Home" to me like window boxes, and I love the contrast this one makes with its red geraniums and white windows against the creamy yellow paint on the house.

And last, but not least, my lagniappe for the day. As I was driving by the Old Court House Museum near downtown Vicksburg, I was delighted to see my first magnolia blooms of the season.

Isn't it magnificent! Magnolias are one of my favorite subjects to photograph, and I'm looking forward to capturing a variety of them with my camera this summer. Talk about Southern Lagniappe! ... it just doesn't get any better than Mississippi Magnolias.

Sweet Magnolias

One of the first things we southerners think of as a symbol of "hospitality," is the magnolia blossom, especially here in Mississippi where it is our state flower.

I love everything about magnolias -- their elegant creamy white petals, heavenly scent, rich shiny green leaves -- and think they are beautiful in all stages of their life cycle.

Magnolias are probably the most photographed flower in the South, and, naturally, I have quite a collection of magnolia photos which I took during my photo shoot ramblings in and around Vicksburg.

I have created a slide show of my favorite magnolias, and would like to share it today. Be sure you have your sound turned up if you'd like to hear the music ("Amazing Grace").

I'm looking forward to when the magnolias bloom again, and hope to capture some unique close-up shots with my new macro lens.