orange blossoms . . . oranges . . . mmmm

This little tree is in our yard, planted about one year ago, larger blossoms here.

from Wikipedia: The Orange blossom is the fragrant flower of the Citrus sinensis (orange tree). It is used in perfume making, has been written about as an aphrodisiac[1] and is the state flower of Florida. It is traditionally associated with good fortune and has been popular in bridal bouquets and head wreaths for weddings. Orange blossom essence is an important component in the making of perfume. In the United States, orange flower water is used to make orange blossom scones and marshmallows.

The Orange Blossom Special: The Seaboard Air Line Railroad train called The Orange Blossom Special which traveled between New York and Miami -click on the link to see a cool postcard of it.

But my favorite video related to oranges and trains is the Juice Train! At about 0:25 on the video the train is passing through Bradenton, FL where I live and the Tropicana plant is headquartered. Did you know orange juice is the state beverage?

It is so lovely to see so many new blossoms on our little tree. Just looking at this you can see why they are used in bridal bouquets and headpieces. A legend going back thousands of years has it that in a garden on a paradise island, three girls, the daughters of Atlas and Nyx, guarded a tree that gave wonderful fruits. It was an orange tree that had been given by the Goddess Gaea to Zeus as wedding present. For this reason orange blossoms are considered of good omen for the couples who are about to get married.

No weddings in our future but I love walking by our tree for it's wonderful fragrance. Mmmmm, it just fills me up! As you can see, there are 3 oranges left to pick and they are the sweetest oranges we have ever eaten -Hamlins. The new blossoms means they'll be more sweet oranges to come!

More: Our orange tree on Christmas Eve with a lizard decorating it!
unripe oranges!
heavenly orange blossoms
~I hope you enjoy these orangey blips!