Faith, Folklore, and Friends

Last Friday, I took a walk around the back yard, hoping to see some blooms.  There was nothing.  What a difference five days and some sunshine can make. Carolina jasmine on the corner of the front porch.  It has a couple of bird nests and lots of bees already. The pear trees seem to have blossomed out overnight. Old-fashioned bridal wreath. There is a white-out in my back yard. First azaleas.  I have some larger ones that are not blooming yet. Last year, our friend, Stephanie Brown, gave us a small Camilla bush.  There have been buds on it since December, and some of them are finally bloomed out. How beautiful is that?  Definitely worth the wait. Thanks again, Steph. Hopefully, there will be more photos to share later.

Some say it may be the oldest cultivated shrub. Speria , common name 'bridal wreath', is not as common as it used to be. It may be because they can grow to be quite large, taking up too much room. Also, their blooming time is short; the blossoms can come and go in a few days. But, oh, those few days! One of the first shrubs to blossom in the spring, they are quickly covered with black bumblebees. Soon, their white petals makes the ground beneath the shrub look like a light snow has fallen. There are new varieties now that are more compact and hold their blooms longer, but I love the old fashioned ones better. This lovely shrub may have gotten its name when its flexible twigs were woven together to adorn a bride's head. It is said that the white wreath of flowers symbolized the bride's purity and virginity. At old "home places" in the country, one can find bridal wreath, sometimes struggling among weeds and other shrubs that have been unattended for years. They...