Sunday, June 15, 2008



The magnolias and the gardenias are both in full bloom today--and they're my favorite flowers! I tried to use magnolias in the house in the flowers that I put in the rooms or in the shared areas, but the aroma is just too much for a lot of people! They seem to be better enjoyed still on the trees!








The gardenias, on the other hand, have a powerful aroma as well, but most people enjoy them in the little arrangements in the bathrooms or in the front hall. They are so delicate and last such a short time when you bring them in the house, but I have several varieties so that one will bloom for a while and then another one blooms, so I can keep them in the house for several weeks of enjoyment.




On the "smell scale" there's been a lot of news about the fires in the Great Dismal Swamp and the drifting smoke. The closest edge of the swamp is about 35 miles south of Yorktown with the far side about 60 miles south in North Carolina.--the fire is apparently on the far side of the Great Dismal Swamp refuge--which is comprised of Lake Drummond in the center surrounded by 1000's of acres of woods, swamp, "lowgrounds" and other areas. The smoke has traveled quite some distance, and two days this week, we could smell a slight bit in the mornings, but by 10 or so there was no remnant of any smell at all.




The natural area of the Great Dismal Swamp is a fantastic place to visit--the name comes from the word "dismal" which means swamp (along with the Algonquin word "pocosin" which means low swampy area--the nearby city of Poquoson is located in an area like that)---it used to be called the "Great Dismal," meaning "great swamp," therefore today we are calling it "the great swamp swamp!" Oh well. Here's a link to information about it--again, it's a fascinating place to visit:








and another link that's accurate and interesting:




No comments: