A magnolia by any other name

I love magnolias. Good thing, I guess. Seeing that I live in Nashville and they grow in abundance here.

The other morning, Joe said goodbye and left for work, then promptly returned a minute later with a magnolia blossom to "inspire me." Bless that man. I put it in a crystal dish filled with water and oh, it was so pretty and fragrant. And he was right…it inspired me! My next two scenes had Magnolia trees in them. : )

For research as I'm writing my next Belmont novel, I've been reading books on horticulture. Specifically, books from the late 19th century. Fascinating. 

For instance, did you know that… 

"In 1703, botanist Charles Plumier wrote about a flowering tree on the island of Martinique, and he named the flower after Pierre Magnol, a 17th century French botanist. The plant was locally known as the Talauma, but the name magnolia stuck. Botanist William Sherard used it, and the famous Carolus Linnaeus adopted the name and used it in his book, Systema Naturae, in 1735."

I love learning little tidbits like that. And now for some quick glimpses around our house...

After Joe brought me the magnolia blossom, I ran outside to see the trees and, sure enough, they're full of blossoms. And the smell! Heavenly. That said, Magnolia trees can be quite messy. Still, I think they're worth it.

Later that same day, I was so inspired by my little blossom that I wanted to have my own magnolia wreath. Have you ever made one of these? It only took about 15 minutes and was so easy! All you have to do is 1) get in the car, 2) run to Target, 3) buy one of these "silk" versions for around $20, and 4) toss it up on the front door. See how easy that was? : )

We planted Salvia in pots and placed them in the bicycle planter up on the front porch. I love these resilient little flowers and the splash of color they add.

Lastly, here's a glimpse at the pansies on the back deck that are still going strong. I love these little flowers too. They're so brave, facing the winter cold and chill, yet hold up well in the spring heat too. 

So tell me, have you planted your spring flowers yet? What did you plant? 

As soon as my pansies say goodbye, I'll need something else for the pots and planters back there. Any suggestions? The deck is full sun so the flower needs to be something that will withstand the heat. We typically put petunias back there and they go nuts, but I'm open to something new. So please, suggest away. 

Happy planting, friends. And um…let me know how that magnolia wreath turns out for you. 

Tammy :)