The magnificent Southern Magnolia is in her full blooming glory this spring here in Savannah.
For a couple of weeks now, as we drove or walked by one, I would say to Robert, “We should get a few blossoms for a little arrangement.”
But the ivory white beauties always seemed to be above my humble reach.
Until one day as I was driving us home, HR semi-yelled, “Neal! Pull over!”
A couple of small magnolias with a few blossoms I could possibly get!
I plucked several and brought them home.
And how beautiful and aromatic they were …
… for the first couple of days.
But Day Three told another, darker story …
What?! Why?!
Staring forlornly at my Brown Bouquet, I immediately thought of Robert Frost:
Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
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Thanks for the encouragement, Frost!
But I know he is right, and I know that I really did enjoy them for a couple of days.
But why did they and I “sink to grief” so quickly?
Google AI told me:
“Magnolia petals are highly sensitive to bruising, temperature changes, and handling. When picked and placed in a vase, the oils on human skin will quickly turn the delicate white petals brown. Additionally, the exposed, pollen-heavy blooms are prone to rapid shock, wilting, and bruising from air exposure.”
Oh no! Why didn’t I Google earlier? And what could I have done differently?
AI answered:
“To make your blooms last for up to a week, follow these quick-handling tricks:
Wear gloves: Handle the stems and petals using floral gloves or a clean cloth so the natural oils on your hands don’t transfer and cause bruising.
Strip the foliage: Remove most of the leaves along the stem, as they steal moisture away from the flower. Leave only the 4-5 leaves closest to the bloom.
Dump the pollen: Turn fully open blooms upside down and gently shake them to remove excess pollen, which otherwise speeds up decay.”
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And that’s My Saturday Evening Post.
NealEnJoy 