Charleston, North California

Legend has it that when my neighborhood was being built in the 1920s,
the homeowners' association mandated that every front yard
had to be planted with camellias.

The idea was to have the entire neighborhood in bloom
with the same flowers at the same time.

I believe this story, because it seems every other house around here has at least
one camellia bush in the front yard, tucked up against the chimney or foundation wall.

Camellias are not my favorite flower. To me they seem shy and inhibited,
the blossoms often hiding inside a tangle of leathery foliage.

However, they give the streets a kind of southern charm we don't experience
any other time of year.

Now, the magnolias -- they are something else entirely.

Right now, in northern California, the magnolias are not just whistling Dixie.
They're singing "hallelujah!"

There are so many varieties, it's dizzying.

 

I love the way they just open their blowsy heads to the sky.
Like reckless sun worshippers.

Thanks to the magnolias, our streets are as fragrant as women off to a fancy ball.

The magnolia trees were not mandated by anybody, but people here have been
planting them for years, including me. The blossoms don't last long,
but right now, they are stealing the show.

Sorry, camellias. I did let you be the first act.

Note: All photos were taken by me with my iPhone.

(c) Copyright 2013 A Silken Swoon. All rights reserved.