Spring Grove & the First of the Magnolias

It's finally starting to feel like Spring in Cincinnati.  We've had more warm, sunny days lately than rainy/cold days so that's always a plus.  These photos are about 2 weeks old, right when the magnolias were starting to bloom everywhere in Cincinnati and right before we had that blanket of snow/freeze that promptly killed them all.  When we got that freeze and I saw that the magnolias weren't bouncing back from it, I was even more grateful that I had this opportunity to go to Spring Grove and snap some photos before they were gone.  It was a beautiful, only slightly chilly day at Spring Grove, but surprisingly there weren't that many people there which is rare on the weekends in the Spring and Summer months when everyone flocks there to walk/run/take photos.  I had a great quiet walk around the front of the cemetery, gravitating toward any magnolias that I could find.  I was a little bummed that the bitterly cold months had taken their toll on the trees though, many were burnt and rotting...I'm guessing from the fluctuation in temperature, from warm to freezing (all in one day), over and over again.  Still, I got some decent photos of what is one of my favorite trees during my second favorite season at one of my most favorite Cincinnati spots (it's definitely in the top 5)!

The thing I love most about Spring Grove (besides their magnolia and floral selection, of course) is that you can pass things on a regular basis and never really notice them and then one day you're like, "wow, look at this!"  I'm always discovering something new about the place that I find beautiful, even if it has been right under my nose the whole time.  In a way, Spring Grove really pushes me to open my eyes, look around and notice more.

Something that I really want to work on is learning the proper names of the variety of trees and flowers I love so much, especially with magnolias and orchids.  They are arguably my favorite tree/flower, respectively, yet I couldn't name them for the life of me.  I plan to really work on that though.  I think the white ones in these photos are Star magnolias and the pink, which are my personal favorite, are either Saucer or Anise magnolias.  I didn't spot any Betty magnolias (they're the deep fushia ones) on this visit, but I'm hoping to soon.  And then in the summer later, maybe mid-June to early July, the Southern magnolias should start to bloom.  I've seen these all over Cincinnati, they're pretty easy to spot even when they're not in bloom because of their big, waxy, dark green leaves and the trees tend to be relatively tall and somewhat slender.

Sorry if I've bored you with magnolia talk.  Anyway, my posts may be a little spotty for a while.  I've got another post or two worth off pictures to share, but we also have a ton of yard work and garden prep to do this year and we're still trying to get everything in order for our anniversary trip to Hawaii (woohoo!) which is coming up soon.  So, until next time I guess...