Thursday, June 18, 2009

Magnolias



I’ve always loved magnolia blooms and have a wonderful memory of one. Some years back I was taking classes at a local community college. This was my first summer there and I lived about a ½ hours walk from the place. The long June evenings provided me daylight long after the class was over, so I could walk home. One evening I walked the warm deserted streets past a local house museum. This house had a magnolia tree in the yard and the branches bent low and close to the iron gate that separated the yard from the street. One beautiful magnolia was at about eye level. I could smell the clear lemony smell. What can I say? I plucked it and took it home with me, where it scented our house for three days and then collapsed into a pile of rubbery brown leaves.

Magnolias come in a wide number of varieties. Even though we mostly see white, there are some attractive pink and yellow ones. It is the official state flower of both Louisiana and Mississippi. Yet they grow nicely up north here and can even be grown from seed. Generally magnolias need lots of space and a bit of air around them, but can also do well in part shade. The area should be sheltered but not so sheltered that it gets colder than the surrounding area in winter. The soil should be slightly acidic. They don’t need to be pruned unless damaged by snow and ice. If this happens, prune away the damaged branches and that will allow the rest of the tree to recover.

Resources:

Magnificent Magnolias

How to grow magnolia trees

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

The Byrd



Recently I paid a visit to the Byrd theatre in Richmond, Virginia. I’m a movie buff so I have to see things like this and I was quite impressed with the Byrd. This theatre was named for William Byrd II, the founder of Richmond. It opened on December 24, 1928 and was intended for use both as a sound and silent theatre, with both types of equipment. Prices then were 25 cents for a matinee and 50 cents for evening, with children paying 10 cents. The first movie shown was a comedy called Waterfront. True to the intented dual sound/silent use for the Byrd, Waterfront was a silent film that was shown with sound added.

The Byrd seats 1,400 seats and has a Wurlitzer organ that rises out of the front of the stage. Originally meant for silent movies, the organ is now played every Saturday night before the evening show. The murals in the lobby depict scenes in Greek mythology and were hand painted in a studio in New York. A humongous chandelier, which hangs over the auditorium, was assembled as the building was constructed. This chandelier weighs two and a half tons. The predominant decor inside the building is very ornate, mainly featuring gold leaf and marble. The Byrd has never been remodeled, but there were a few repairs and adjustments from time to time. Now, it is run by a non-profit organization called The Byrd Theater Foundation. They survive as a second run movie house and it costs only $1.99 to get in, so this allows many people to experience this bit of movie history.

Resources:

Richmond Movie Palace-The Byrd Theater

Byrd Theater and Foundation