A Crowd of Camellias

For the first time in the four years we have lived in our current home, the nine Japanese camellias (C. japonica) in the garden are all blooming concurrently.  This is likely due to the bitter cold of the past winter, which resulted in a shortened bloom season.  Since all predate me, I know the names of just a few.

Japanese camellias (C. japonica), March 28, 2015

First (top) row:  ‘Memphis  Belle’ introduced by an American hybridizer in 1968, ‘Glen 40’ registered in 1942, and ‘Jordan’s Pride’ (also known as ‘Herme’ and ‘Brillant Gem’)  introduced from Japan in 1859

Second row:  First 3 unidentified, the one on the right is probably ‘Pink Perfection’, introduced from Japan in 1875

Third row:  Undidentified (the two red splotched are from the same tree)

All the camellias in the first and second rows are planted near the property boundry on the west side of the house (just outside my kitchen window), ‘Memphis Belle’ is the last in that line, so it could have been added after the others.  The house was built in 1952, and some of the camellias are quite large, so I would guess they are at least 40 years old.  They get nearly full sun in winter when the trees are bare and two to three hours of late morning sun in summer.

The two camellias in the third row are planted against the back of the house and are likely to be younger.  Despite getting only an hour or two of sun per day throughout the year, they bloom surprisingly well.

If anyone has a ID for the splotched bloom, I would love to know it’s name.

Male Northern Cardinal, on ‘Jordan’s Pride’ in the February ice storm, waiting for a spot at the bird feeders.

 

Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day–March 2015

After surviving a week of cold, wet weather in Washington, DC, I’m back in my office this morning, window open, relishing bird song, blue skies, and a warm day, with temperatures predicted to reach 80 degrees F (26 C).  Best of all, look what I found blooming in the garden when I returned home.

Flowers & Foliage, March 2015

The collection of Camellia japonica includes (top, left to right) ‘Jordan’s Pride’, ‘Memphis Bell’, unknown white, (bottom) ‘Glen 40’, ‘Memphis Bell’, and an unknown red.  All of these cultivars were likely planted in the 1950s and/or 1960s.  The other flowers are forsythia, Helleborus orientalis (Lenten roses), Edgeworthia chrysantha, Veronica ‘Georgia Blue’, pansies, violas, Pieris japonica ‘Temple Bells’, and Narcissus ‘Tete-a-Tete’ (miniature daffodil).  The foliage is Heuchera ‘Plum Pudding’, Rumex sanguineus (bloody dock), Asarum (Chinese ginger), Nandina domestica, Aucuba japonica ‘Gold Dust’, and Gardenia sp. ‘Variegata’ (commonly called “double variegated”).

The millefliori-style photograph is inspired by the work of Ellen Hoverkamp, but my process is much simpler.  Here’s another inside peek at my studio…

To see what’s blooming in other parts of the world, visit May Dreams Gardens.

Frozen

Residents of the Upstate woke to a winter wonderland today, but what looks like snow is actually ice.  After a couple hours of sleet on Monday afternoon our precipitation turned to freezing rain and then back to sleet as darkness fell.  This morning we have a coating of ice on trees and shrubs, plus more than an inch of sleet on the ground and roadways.

Camellia japonica ‘Memphis Belle’

Native flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) coated in ice.

Looks like Big Red is parked for today.

Needless to say, the feeders have been busy.  Plus, my visiting grandchildren, Caitlin and David, helped me tear old bread and mix it with seed for those that feed from the ground.  While the birds have been busy warming up, we’ve been busy watching from the windows.

Male Northern Cardinal, looking for a spot at the feeders.

The long view…