Flowers above from left: the very fragrant narcissus and the tiny grape hyacinth, aka muscari, also fragrant. In the background are two branches from the flowering magnolia, aka tulip tree. On the right are volunteers of nasturtium. In the center are white tulips, and although they may look real, they are not. They have been recommended by other bloggers and at $20 I thought I'd give them a try. They are very realistic and come in some pretty colors too but I knew I would love the white.

The muscari are next to my bed and I hope their fragrance will bring me sweet dreams tonight. The narcissus are in the hall and whenever I walked by them I thought, how extravagant, how positively decadent to have such beautifully fragrant flowers in the humble hallway.

We are hosting a party in a few weeks for friends who have recently moved away and are coming back for a visit. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the flowering magnolia trees will still be in bloom and I can bring in bunches of them. They are so dramatic in the house and look best in simple vases like the one above from Ikea.

My husband thinks this is the most prolifically fruity our orange tree has ever been. We will start to pick, juice and freeze starting in mid to late March. We can end up with as many as 40 quarts in the freezer and we try to time it so we drink the last of it just as we start to pick the new season. We'll have several batches over as many months. This last week we drank the last two quarts of last years orange juice. Our grandson was with us for part of his spring break and if there is one person who enjoys a full breakfast then I can't imagine who. This kid would have eggs and bacon at every meal if we would let him. We always defrost an OJ or two when he comes to stay.

camellia

Even though I have a big year 'round garden, I often get requests for faux flower recommendations and decided to do some homework. I had heard good things about Mandy's tulips and after giving them a try, I agreed with the reviews, they really are amazing and the price is fantastic. I think if you stick with a realistic color and not go garish, you'd be really happy with them too. I certainly don't need faux summer flowers, but I am still tempted to buy the gerbera daisy and the poppies. Aren't they stunning? And look at the daffodils and the lilies! Gorgeous.

Mandy's poppies

Mandy's gerbera daisies

Mandy's daffodils

The company is most famous for their beautiful tulips. They have a ton of colors, but for me, the more natural colors are the obvious choice. This soft pink--sigh.

The lilies are on sale right now. Make sure you click the 10% off coupon.

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