I liked seeing Ellen DeGeneres wear a magnolia pin at the Emmys. If a magnolia is the symbol of Hurricane Katrina, that's fine with me. Magnolias are great trees but take up a great deal of space. Where I live the trees grow taller than homes and their leaves drive my neighbor nuts. Fallen magnolia leaves are large and crunchy so raking them up takes a good rake and both hands. We don't do much magnolia bloom picking as the blooms are high up on the branches. Want to know what a bloom smells like? Go sniff "Diorissimo" by Dior.
Camellias are a good symbol of the Gulf Coast, too. In a few weeks, if the bushes aren't destroyed, we'll have camellias. I have five different varieties, or did have in my yard. If I was half the Southern Gal I think I am I'd know the names of each type of camellia in my yard but I slept through that Garden Club meeting. I have pink, double pink, whitish, dark red and dark pink. Lovely. I hope the bushes survived because mine were older established plantings.
The free health clinic here is great. Clean, new and staffed with pleasant people. I got my tetanus shot and saw my name go into their "Hurricane Tetanus" file on the counter.I wish I could bring the clinic home with me. Our health department scares off young women with rudeness. More than 70% of all births in Mississippi have some contact with the health department. We could learn from the staff here.
I received another call from a church somewhere offering help to my congregation. I can't tell you what it means to me that people reach out to us. I told the caller I'd get back with her about our needs but that the church could pray for all the people of South Mississippi and Louisiana.
Love,
St. Casserole
5 comments:
In my yard, the magnolias lost leaves, but did not bend or break. They still stand tall.
Expeditus Hurricanus
My Bigdaddy (Florida grandfather) was a chemist by training and love, and a fabulous gardener. He used to use giberellic acid (is that right!?) on them and they were amazing and prize-winning. I thought he was a magician!
I still think that.
Someday I want to visit you and your camellias, St. C! They will be gorgeous again. Welcome home soon.
The fact that you *don't* know the names of those camellias? Makes me like you even more.
Makes me sad to talk about all those trees and bushes. Our very large magnolia did not make it through Katrina. That was one of the first things Catherine asked me after our first visit back. You never know to what kids become attached. I hope your camellias will bloom. Our yard, including all the azaleas, boxwoods, and other bushes, is a crispy brown mess. Salt water can do some damage! :(
I love magnolias - however, they do "business" all year round! So I love them at a distance!
Camellias are beautiful too - I love them as altar flowers in the winter.
I hope you find all of your plants to where they can share their beauty in the future.
Cathy
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