Magnolia Blossoms, the Boston Marathon & Daffodils! (parts 1&2)

Hi Everyone,

This is a continuation of Sunday’s post with more beautiful images, a bit of history, and why Boston is FILLED with blooming yellow daffodils. You’ll see the tulips coming up too.

We adore our flowers here. While each season has its own unique beauty, let’s face it, by this time of year, we’re aching to see some color and the earth come back to life. If you’ve never experienced the dramatic change from winter into spring, it’s quite an extraordinary thing that happens.

 

Please be warned, if you’re visiting Boston, or New York, for that matter.

 

I was wearing shorts two days ago, but the temperature dropped a good 30 degrees, and it was back to my heavy coat and a headband. I get cold pretty easily.

If you’ve already read part 1, you can skip ahead by clicking the link below. Otherwise, please enjoy this post from the top of the page.

There’s a surprise waiting for you at the bottom of the post!

 

Part 2 Begins Here

 

Hi Everyone,

After 13 years of writing this blog, you’d think I would know how long it takes to produce a blog post. Right?

Well, I don’t. Or, rather, I do, but my powers of denial and delusion are far superior.

Like 2021, the magnolia blossoms are spectacular this year.

Aren’t they every year, Laurel?

 

No, they are different every year. Some years, they come and go very quickly, but this year, they’ve been slowly coming out all week.

 

What sometimes happens is that it is very cool, which it mostly has been, but then all of a sudden, it gets super warm, like it was today, and if it stays warm like that for a few days, the blossoms bloom and die very quickly, pushed off the branches by the leaves.

 

Or, sometimes, there’s a torrential rainstorm, which’ll quickly destroy the delicate magnolia blossoms, too.

 

However, this year, we had a mild day several days ago, which was good, but then it got cold, which was even better, and then a fair amount of gentle rain. It allowed the buds to open up more slowly and kept the leaves at bay.

Oh, sorry. I realize that 99% of you already know that. But the difference is that there are 100s of magnolia trees in the Back Bay. The reason is that a woman named Laura Dwight in the 1960s became the first president of the Back Bay Garden Club, and she spearheaded an initiative to line the streets with the bountiful magnolia trees to create the magnificent display you’re seeing.

 

Some residents aren’t terribly fond of the trees.

 

The reason is that when the millions of blossoms fall to the sidewalk, they make a bloody mess and stain the concrete.

Today, the blooms were at peak, but it was over 80 degrees today, so they’re already dying off.

It was summerlike today, and so Back Bay was mobbed this afternoon. However, I went out for about two hours– in shorts (!) and took dozens of photos.

There are so many beauties, I can’t possibly share them all today, so I plan to share more on Monday.

 

This year, I mostly went over to Beacon Street and Commonwealth Avenue.

 

Commonwealth Ave red brick townhouses lined with magnolia trees at peak bloom.

 

I was on Marlborough for a block or two. The house in the middle is one of my favorites.

 

Like I said, there were a lot of people. So, it wasn’t easy getting shots without people in them. This is definitely Comm Ave. And here, you can see the mess the blooms are already making on the sidewalk, and most of the flowers are still on the trees!

 

 

This fabulous house was featured in the last big spring post four years ago. Coincidentally, my son Cale has a friend who’s the brother of the owner of this home. They bought it maybe around the time I bought mine, and did a huge renovation. You can see more of this home before the renovation in one of my favorite posts.

 

Of course, there are many other blooming trees along with the magnolias. However, this one might be a magnolia of a different variety and a more pale shade.

 

Haha. I walked past this the other evening on Comm Ave and wondered how they did this. And now I see a piece that goes over the branch and is attached to the rest of the fence.

 

It’s been so cold, suddenly everything opened up!

 

I walked over to Storrow Drive, the east/west expressway bordering the Charles River and the Esplanade.

 

 

154 Beacon Street is one of Back Bay’s most beautiful homes with an unusual configuration and a narrow width.

 

Like my building, there are five units. I don’t know how many houses in the Back Bay are single-family homes, but there is a growing trend towards that.

 

This is the location, but not the same house that Isabella Stuart Gardner lived in, in the early days of her marriage. That house was torn down, and this gorgeous Beaux Arts home was built.

 

 

Above and below, the exquisite 109 and 111 Commonwealth Ave.

 

 

 

Millions of magnificent magnolia blossoms!

Please have a blessed Easter Holiday!

xo,

 

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A link to Amazon.com is on my home page.

Please click the link before items go into your shopping cart. Some people save their purchases in their “save for later folder.” Then, if you remember, please come back and click my Amazon link, and then you’re free to place your orders. While most vendor links have a cookie that lasts a while, Amazon’s cookies only last up to 24 hours.

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I very much appreciate your help and support!

 

*********************************************************

Part 2 Begins Here

 

Monday, April 21, 2025

 

Hi Everyone,

As many of you know, it was the Boston Marathon today. I didn’t see any of it, but I did see many runners afterward. I was one street over, then I cut through the public garden to go to DeLuca’s on Beacon Hill. It’s my favorite over-priced grocery store in Boston.

 

So, I took some photos and still have a few to share from Saturday.

 

It’s funny, as I was strolling along Comm Ave, I heard a woman bemoan that it was cloudy and therefore wasn’t the best time to take photos. I respectfully disagree. It’s the best time to take photos as the trees and spring green colors look their best in the gray sky. In addition, there are no harsh, distracting shadows to deal with.

For some reason, when I walked through the garden, my phone was out of commission and kept saying, “Please try again in five minutes.” I gave up, so I only got pics on the way home.

The Ducklings in the garden have never been more adorable than they were in their marathon garb, complete with little sneakers and Easter bonnets. Mind you, I had to tie up several children and their parents in order to get this image. ;]

 

What might go unnoticed are the abundance of daffodils scattered throughout the city, with a high concentration in Back Bay.

 

It is the 12th anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombing, and the following year, an initiative began to bring light out of the darkness and put daffodil plants everywhere.

Above, the yellow blooms look striking against the greens and limestone home behind them.

 

Above is a photo taken on Marlboro Street in 2021.

Towering over this display between Berkeley Street and Clarendon is the statue of the revolutionary war bastion of male *pulchritude, John Glover. I always feel quite safe when I pass him by.

*(All of the grandiose big words I use were learned from my wasband.)

Incidentally, Marathon Monday always falls on Patriots Day. It’s a public holiday in Massachusetts and several other states.

Back in the garden for a sec, because the tulips, or two lips as I’m fond of saying, are not yet at peak, but they are blooming.

 

That’s George Washington on horseback in case you don’t know.

 

More two lips on Commonwealth Ave.

 

Commonwealth Ave April magnolias.

Although it was quite warm on Saturday, it quickly cooled down Saturday night and so the blooms are still on the trees.

 

I believe a few of you got married at 5 Commonwealth Ave when it was used for other purposes. In 2008, it converted back to a single-family home. This property is as jaw-dropping as it appears here and has an interesting and rich past, if you’re interested in learning more.

 

The magnificent entrance of 5 Commonwealth.

Below, an image from the post from April 17, 2021. Please check out that post if you haven’t. There are some lovely images. And of course, some of the same houses from different angles. You can see what’s changed and what’s the same as it was.

 

Those urns look like they’ve had a good powerwash since 2021.

 

I took this on Saturday and am not positive which street, but I think it’s on Beacon Street. I love the way the magnolias frame the front door.

 

In front of my house is a bust of Patrick Andrew Collins. Yes, every block has a statue of someone. And God bless the many people who placed all of the beautiful daffodils.

I might have a few more. There is much going on.

 

However, it is April 21st, and Mother’s Day is May 12th.

 

So, I’ve created an all-new widget for gift ideas for that purpose, if you’re interested. Some of these are not expensive, and some are bigger gifts. I love the idea of chipping in to get Mom something she’d never get for herself.

I am putting it here, and it’s also in the holiday shop in the main menu. I’ll update that heading soon.

 

 

Oh, the Serena & Lily big sales are ending at 11:59 PM PT, which is coming up!

xo,

 

***Please check out the recently updated HOT SALES!

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I very much appreciate your help and support!