Southern magnolias (Magnolia grandiflora), also known as big laurels, evergreen magnolias, bull bay trees, and large tree magnolias are another iconic southern tree. I had never seen one before our family moved to Florida when I was in high school. The house that our family lived in then (and my Mother still does) has a very tall one growing in the front yard. I always loved that tree. We used to climb in it, pick the huge flowers that were low enough to reach, and play ball with the dogs using the cones that fell every fall. The flowers always made my eyes itch and my nose run, but that didn’t matter. If you look out of the front window of the house you always see that magnificent tree and often times some of the wildlife that lives in it, too. I have been wanting to photograph a magnolia flower for a couple of years, but the opportunity has never come up at a convenient time until last week. I had to go to town to get a prescription refilled, and there were blooming magnolias in the apartment complex next to the pharmacy. I didn’t have any appointments or other errands to run, so it was the perfect time for a photo shoot. I took quite a few shots that I will be sharing in future posts, but this is one of my favorites. The swirl of the bud and its compactness are such a contrast to the large, loosely packed petals when it’s in full bloom.