port wine magnolias

There's a port wine magnolia growing a couple of houses down and its scent distinctly reminds me of my childhood home.

Google describes the flower's fragrance as "fruit bubblegum", which I'm inclined to agree.

We had a magnolia bush growing by our pool, and the blooming of its distinct scent used to always mark the beginning of summer and poolside shenanigans.

The almost sickly sweet scent of this plant would mix with the smell of the chlorine from the pool and it used to tickle my nose. I was not very fond of this smell growing up, but now it brings back gloriously nostalgic memories.

There is this melancholic lacquer over my childhood, though there is an immense amount of fondness, too.

Ah, the dualities of life.