One of the earliest Spring-blooming trees here in Mississippi, is the Bradford Pear tree, and in just a few weeks the trees will be covered with beautiful white blossoms which appear before the leaves emerge.

I captured the following two pictures in early March, a couple of years ago, when the buds were just emerging.

As glorious as they are from a distance, I discovered that their crowning glory is found deep within the delicate flowers. I couldn't believe my eyes when I looked through the lens to get a close up view of one of the blossoms.  This is what I saw ...

You can click on the pictures if you would like to get a closer look at these exquisite flowers. I love the little heart-shaped purple centers ...

I hope these pictures have inspired you to take the time to get a closer look at our glorious spring flowers and trees.  I will never cease to be amazed by the awe-inspiring beauty hidden deep within their petals.  Like the "flame" I found deep in the heart of this Iris ...

 Or a tiny cross silhouetted by the sun filtering through the petals of a tulip ...
  

I love taking pictures of trees, and have discovered that sometimes the twisted and tangled roots of a tree are more interesting than, and just as beautiful as, its flowers and foliage. Here are a few pictures from my collection which, I think, illustrate this perfectly.

Tangled roots of an old magnolia tree located on the grounds of the Old Court House Museum in Vicksburg, Mississippi.

 More magnolia roots ...

I captured these huge roots of an old oak tree in an antebellum neighborhood in Natchez, Mississippi.

I found these moss-covered roots on the side of a road in Vicksburg.

The roots of this old magnolia tree, located in the National Cemetery inside the Vicksburg National Military Park, embrace grave markers of soldiers who died during the Siege of Vicksburg.

I love the roots of this magnificent old Ginkgo tree, also located in the cemetery of the Military Park.

This picture, which was taken during winter, gives us a glimpse of what the roots of a tree look like underground. It amazes me that trees can live with their roots exposed like that, but those are, indeed, alive and struggling to hold on to their tentative grasp of the soil crumbing around them.

I hope my pictures have inspired you to pay more attention to the roots of trees.  I think you will find them not only beautiful, but fascinating, as well.