In praise of jacarandas

I can't help myself. So many people are blogging about Spring today. It's got me thinking. With Spring in the air, jacaranda time is approaching in Sydney again. Sadly, it's too cold for them in Hobart so I'll miss the daily joy they bring. They last for months before their pretty petals fade away. I'll have to satisfy myself vicariously by surfing Flickr. A tad obsessively, even.

North Shore jacaranda

I miss the way they carpet the footpath in a lovely mauve haze. Mind you, that also makes the footpath slippery (that's the public liability lawyer in me having a say) but that's a price I'm willing to pay. Even if I had to broom the footpath every day, I would still have one in my garden if I could. Really. Brownie's honour.

Prettying up suburbia

They make the ordinary just that much lovelier, don't you think? They add a zing and zest to everyday sights, just when you don't expect it.

A burst of glorious colour

They take over places, asserting their glorious right to exist, to add joy to the every-dayness of life. They make places their own so we can't imagine life without them there. In that perfect spot. In the corner.

The University of Sydney quadrangle beauty

They fan their lacy loveliness over country laneways, arching here and there. Artfully.

Country loveliness

And then, when they're done, they fall, soundlessly, to the ground, resting there in all their softness. Quite the loveliest litter you've ever seen.

The softest carpet

Ah, jacarandas, how I miss you!

Jane