The Cool House: magnolia
Showing posts with label magnolia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label magnolia. Show all posts

Monday, April 16, 2012

April to April

The last twelve months have flown by, hardly time to post to the blog what with all the twitter twaddle and facebook folies to constantly update. I knew this would happen, I'm basically lazy so if I can say it in 140 characters or less that's the option I'll take, thank you very much. But on the warmest day of a warm April that succeeded the hottest March ever, preceded by a no-Winter that meant no snow and no photos of 2" icicles hanging from the garage roof (and therefore no threat of decapitation when dragging the trash cans down the drive), I've had time to reflect on the past year. 
Firstly, that Spring-like Winter has meant everything in the garden is blooming a good three weeks ahead of normal. This was last April 16 - in past Aprils we've still been salting the back drive this time of year.


The same view today, the forsythia is over, the hostas are up and the azaleas out. It's also 87F and not raining so big bonus, there!


I even pruned the forsythia the was obscuring the pink azalea but not without a minor oops moment.


What was the tenet about bringing the outdoors in... or making lemonade out of lemons?

The early blossoming Spring holds true for the magnolias, too.


Last year May 5.


This year April 8

Secondly the house is looking more put together, even if all the major renovations finished way back in 2010. A lot has to do with the new placement of art and the way we are using the space. The eat-in section of the kitchen is a spot where we spend a lot of time now we are free to laptop/iphone/tablet roam with wifi, often it seems we don't even bother visiting our offices, we just sit at the breakfast table and do our respective things. Sometimes, though I clear up and it's quite serene


Thirdly, I am still nuts. On one of the hottest August days last summer I swapped the rugs in the den and dining room. On my own because The Guy flatly refused to indulge my crazy one more time.


The orange rug headed back to the den


and the cream rug was dragged into the great room. It felt so good I bought it a couple of new cushions in a mid-century inspired pattern in the sale at Crate&Barrel. It's so much lighter in there that I'm sitting there typing. The newly fixed sliding doors are open and I'm listening to what sounds like a duck in the yard. I'm expecting the fox will appear again tonight. April to April... plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose!

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Earth Day 2008


Saturday, April 19, 2008

More Saturday Magnolias

It really is spectacular in the yard today, all yellow, white, pale pink and purple with a backdrop of bright green from the unfolding leaves. In between chores (more of that tomorrow) I had time to shoot some more magnolias.


These smaller magnolias are a double variety


The magnolia tree in full bloom
I also spotted a large magnolia in the back of the yard behind the pool that I hadn't noticed before. Unfortunately the blooms are all at the top of the tree and I couldn't get a decent shot but I know that its big pinky white blossoms are there. At least for a few more days.

Saturday Morning Magnolia

Wouldn't that make a great song title?


The magnolias are in full bloom. This is the small bush with the huge blossoms (the size of my hand) shot with the early morning sun behind the tree


close up of another blossom from the same position