Yes, you can find them throughout Southern California, including Santa Barbara. They are beautiful but the fallen flowers can be slippery and they stain sidewalks.
If you’ve ever visited Los Angeles, California in May or June, you may have seen the iconic Jacaranda tree in full bloom. The Jacaranda features vibrant, purple flowers that help to brighten up a gloomy weather season that locals refer to as “May Gray” and “June Gloom.” Turns out, the Jacaranda’s presence in southern California can be attributed to Kate Sessions, a pioneering female horticulturalist who leased and tended to 32 acres of land in San Diego in 1892 that was later re-named Balboa Park. In this park, she planted many different plants and trees, including the Jacaranda. In the 1920s and ‘30s, the Jacaranda was planted extensively in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, becoming one of the most recognizable trees in the region.
Keeping this in the CC realm, the first time I saw Jacaranda trees, they were in bloom all over the USC campus. Including by the Trojan statue ( disclaimer, this was 2001 and landscaping may be different now).
From the Harper’s Bazaar article. Harriman could have directly corrected the interviewer’s statement but chose not to. Personally I could care less whether that photo was doctored. What difference does it make? But the photographer let that statement go uncorrected, allowing people to draw their own conclusions.
The photographer says in the interview, “My most well-known virtual shoot is a portrait I took of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announcing their pregnancy. It’s a very joyous image. The technology allows you to take over a phone or an iPad, and they can hear my voice, and I can still press the shutter and compose with ease. It’s extraordinary what you can do with technology.”
Berkeley then asks, “They weren’t actually under a willow tree, but they were lying outside in a meadow, weren’t they—Harry and Meghan? When you took the photograph of them?”
Harriman answers the question indirectly, saying, “They were lost in their love at home in their garden, comfortable, celebrating new joy, new life, with fortitude of hoping for light in life, after such loss that they went through with a miscarriage. So it really was a particularly joyous image to celebrate life itself.”
I did. I think he left the question open. He opted for a flowery answer instead of directly pushing back on the inference that the photo was altered. His prerogative but now there’s controversy.
H&M jumped the shark with the Oprah interview (& Harry’s SPARE). They could have left and lived their lives but they chose to rub the RF’s nose in it, which not only raised the RF ire, but also the ire of many Brits. H&M seemed to be quite well liked on their wedding day and in the weeks afterward, until Meghan’s complaints with royal life began (not saying they weren’t justified).
Back to Kate - if she (allegedly) made a statement alluding to the fact that she enjoys dabbling in photo editing, then one would think that she is in good enough condition to do a quick real-time photo op with the kids (who haven’t been seen recently either, have they?) The rumors are damaging and embarrassing to the future king & queen. It’s shocking that there has yet to be any effective damage control. They need a “fixer”.
They are one of the reasons I think Caltech has the prettiest campus - in the spring the jacarandas are out (along with wisteria and iris - it’s amazing.)
In full recognition of the absolutely lowbrow nature of all this speculation, the latest rumors go like this:
the rose Hanbury affair first discovered/made public around 2018 never actually stopped and has been carrying on all these years (hello daddy issues!!!)
rose is now pregnant with Williams baby and keeping the baby
the “firm” revealed this news to Kate after Christmas while at Sandringham
kate had a complete breakdown on Dec 28 and was taken away by ambulance (the emergency vehicle convoy seemingly was photo’d and there was no explanation from the palace)
Kate has now refused to cooperate with the palace and has gone rogue
Kingston death and Williams bruised face are somehow connected
rose Hanbury is playing along and has not been photographed for several months since she is presumably showing by now
This lines up with the Waity Katie speculation I referenced upthread.
I don’t know whether that story is true, but I wouldn’t be surprised. Seems like something big is going on or they wouldn’t be working so hard to make it seem as if all is well.
I have no clue whether any of the rumors are true. If they are, however, he is exposing his wife and children to the kind of things he experienced in his own childhood. If so, no wonder Harry split! Of course, it’s possible that only some - or even none - of it is true. I know that no amount of money and creature comforts would be worth living in the royal fishbowl (IMO).
I’m not moderating this thread since I’ve participated and I also commented on the trees up thread, but maybe it’s time to get back on topic. Feel free to ignore not-a-mod-DramaMama.
The internal/informal name for the Royal Institution. You must not watch The Crown!
ETA: “An unofficial nickname that dates back to the time of Queen Elizabeth II’s father, King George VI, The Firm is an informal title for the British royal family and its associated institutions, including the courtiers, staff and working royals that keep the business of the monarchy functioning.”
but maybe it’s time to get back on topic. Feel free to ignore not-a-mod-DramaMama.