Spring has Sprung - the Magnolias Bloom

This time of year in the area of China where I am visiting is lush with greenery.  Every tree and shrub seems to have more than its fair share of green foliage - it is a pretty awesome sight.  The bamboo that four years ago was just being established is now tall and thick. Spectacular.

One of the shrubs that always impressed me at this time is the Magnolia - these trees line the streets, and are featured in many gardens.

I am lucky in that there are two trees close to the appartment I am in, and I have been able to watch the buds form, and then the flowers open.  The flowers have a short life span.  One day they are buds, the next day they are in full bloom, and the next they are deteriorating.

I found a large historic Magnolia tree - but it was not easy to photograph it.

Hollyhocks in China

Each country/culture has its own way of using flowers - and in China flowers are cultivated in pots often and then used in amazing displays.  While these flowers were not in any spectacular display, they certainly painted an attractive picture near the main entrance of the university.