The Colors of Spring

{ Post No. 1050 }

I spent a very pleasant afternoon one day last week strolling the grounds and gardens of one of my most favorite places in Vicksburg -- the Old Court House Museum.

The above picture was taken when the dogwoods were blooming last Spring, but it's a little early for them to be blooming now.  However, the colors and signs of Spring were scattered everywhere, in spite of the recent heavy rains and cold winds we've been having in Vicksburg.   

Forsythia, Quince, and Narcissus were blooming ...

And, although the mauve irises looked rather downtrodden after a rain shower the night before ...

I managed to find a lovely bloom that withstood the wind and rain, as if it was just waiting for me to come along and capture it in all its glory before it, too, faded ...

And glorious, it was!

 Not to be outdone, the color purple was royally represented by this beautiful purple iris ...

Do you remember when Crayola had a crayon called "Spring Green?"  That's what came to mind when I spotted this bicycle leaning against the building ...

It's still a little early for the roses in the rose garden to bloom, but I came across a couple of lovely "early bloomers" ...

This forlorn-looking little hydrangea bush was tucked amongst the Camellias, its faded blooms patiently waiting to be replaced with this season's bright pink or blue blossoms.  If you look closely, by clicking on the picture, you can see tiny leaf buds popping out.  I'd love to go back in June to find out if it is a "boy or girl" hydrangea.

I loved rambling around the grounds of the Court House, and look forward to going back in a couple of weeks to capture the Azaleas and Dogwoods in bloom.  

In the meantime, I hope you will join me next time as I take you through the Crape Myrtle arch shown in the picture below,  and down the brick path to explore a very special memorial resting underneath the branches of that old oak tree in the distance.  

God's Winter Glory

Narcissus is blooming here in Missisisippi! One of my favorite flowers, Narcissus blooms always brighten my winter days when I see clusters of them scattered amongst flower beds or, even better, at old home sites along country roads. I can't help but wonder who planted them, and wish I could let them know that the flowers they so lovingly planted make me smile when I see them. I have always loved this time of year following the holidays (after all the Christmas decorations are packed away and taken to the attic), and even though the winter landscapes are bleak, seeing the first Narcissus blooms of the season rekindles a sense of renewal and hope for the new year, much like the Dogwoods do in the Spring. I love the way the centers of the flowers in the next picture look as if they're glowing. They remind me of the song, "This Little Light of Mine" ... Best wishes to you for a New Year blessed with an abundance of bright and beautiful lagniappe, like these lovely little flowers that remind us of God's glory and presence in our lives, even on the bleakest days of winter.

The Joy of Jonquils

I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden [jonquils]; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. — William Wordsworth

Last summer, we bought a five-acre lot on a lake in Madison County, Mississippi, and are planning to build a house on it. At the time we bought the lot, it looked like this ...

During the late fall and winter, we were busy with other things, and didn't make too many trips to the land. So, you can imagine my surprise last weekend when we drove up and saw this ...

Those are yellow Jonquils, and there are thousands of them covering our lot. Literally, everywhere I looked and everywhere I stepped, there were little clumps of flowers and bulbs poking through the leaves ...

I even saw a clump of Narcissus and, needless to say, I was thrilled!

Years ago, the land where our lot is located was part of Cameron Plantation, one of the largest plantations around, so I can't help but think that there may have been a home site there back in those days.

I plan to check the Madison County chancery clerk's records to trace the land ownership back to the days of the plantation in hopes of learning about its history. My imagination runs away with me, conjuring up visions of a Scarlett O'Hara strolling in her gardens gathering Jonquils for an early Spring bouquet.

And even though our house is not going to look like Tara, I know we are going to spend many happy years in it ... and I will always wonder about the house that may have been there before, and the people who lived in it.

And every Spring, I will smile and silently thank the southern lady or gentleman who planted those first Jonquil bulbs so long ago.

Paperwhites: Winter's Lagniappe

I have always loved Paperwhites, and they are just beginning to bloom here in Mississippi. I spotted a bed of Paperwhites yesterday and couldn't resist capturing them with my camera. Although the recent ice storm had taken its toll on most of the blooms, there were a couple of flowers that were standing tall in the early morning sunshine.

Paperwhites have a very special place in my heart. My husband and I were married when we were in college, and lived in a small garage apartment near the school. Without fail, every Friday afternoon when I got out of class, I would go home and clean that little apartment from top to bottom, including waxing the wood floors.

After I finished cleaning, I would walk down the street a couple of blocks to a vacant lot where there were some Paperwhites scattered around an old home site. I would cut some of the flowers, take them home, and arrange them in one of our "wedding-gift-vases," and you'd have thought I had created a masterpiece worthy of the pages of "Southern Living" magazine. I loved walking around that tiny apartment, smelling the heavenly fragrance of the Paperwhites and admiring my shiny floors and clean house (all four rooms of it!).

To this day, every time I see or smell Paperwhites, they take me back to those days when I was a very young and happy new bride. I'd like to think that the owner of that vacant lot wouldn't have minded me "borrowing" some of the flowers, if he knew how happy they made me.

I love the way the centers of the flowers in the next picture look as if they're glowing. They remind me of the song, "This Little Light of Mine" ...

Paperwhites are members of the Narcissus family, which is typically associated with Daffodils and Jonquils. Paperwhites are smaller, but what they lack in size, they make up for in fragrance and charm — and what bright and beautiful lagniappe these pretty little white clusters of flowers bring to our Mississippi landscapes in the middle of winter.