camellias – Fine for Friday

Late Winter 20 Feb 2026

This has been a beautiful week of weather. It has been warm with several mostly sunny days. There is a cold front coming. It will bring some frosty nights for 2 days so winter still has some punch left in it. It is so wonderful to have the increasing amount of daylight. The plants have all benefited.

I have spent my week pruning shrubs. The beauty berry, hollies and viburnum all now have their spring trim. I have also cleaned up containers that are holding pansies and sedum. There are a few trays of perennials that are ready to be planted but that will wait a little longer.

The most impressive bloomers in the garden right now are the daffodils. I am also enjoying crocus and the winter lettuces and the onion sets that are making substantial progress.

These red Camellia japonicas are glorious at the moment. The earlier blooms were damaged by a significant frost but thank goodness for sequential blooming. The mild weather has brought out an abundance of beautiful blooms. I do not know the names of these cultivars but they are magnificent.

I have shown the Edgeworthia ‘Paperbush’ a week or two ago but indulge me since these opening blooms have a beautiful, bright golden color. In addition, the fragrance is intoxicating.

The Star Magnolia is also blooming and fragrant. The white strap flowers make this a very showy shrub. It is about 12 feet high but it is having a struggle with crown rot. 2 of the 3 trunks have been lost and the third trunk is beyond remedy I fear. I identified the problem too late to do much about it. There are some azaleas underneath it that will benefit from the additional light. C’est la vie.

The daffodil is ‘Ice Follies’. It is tall at 12 inches. The yellow cup stands out against the white. I have a very nice crop of them this year. Many other varieties of daffodil are now blooming and I intend to show you more next week.

The nest box is for bluebirds. The male was courting the female today. The flew around it several times. They did not settle in because of the activity around them but it was exciting to see their interest. I didn’t capture a photo but here is one from another time.

I will be sharing this post with the Six on Saturday group tomorrow. If you want to see photos from gardeners from around the world, here is the link https://gardenruminations.co.uk/

In the meantime, happy gardening!

Blooms and Greens 14 Mar 2025

Do you like Spring blooms? They are appearing finally. Do you like to see green leaves? They are appearing finally. Sunny days and warming temperatures are the norm these days.

Unfortunately, we have the chance of severe weather this time of year. The forecast is for severe thunderstorms with possible hail tomorrow. It seems the whole country may be under weather advisories. The wise will be prepared. iPhones have a setting for severe weather alerts and I have ours turned on. If necessary, find a safe place in the house. Usually that is at least a basement or a bathroom without windows.

I have a colorful set of photos this week. I will also be joining the Six on Saturday group tomorrow. Join us at the link. https://gardenruminations.co.uk .

Follow the guidelines at the website. Post some of your own photos on a blog and post your link.

Here are the greens. Both are sedums. The left is autumn joy awakening from winter. It does well in a container. The right succulent is also a succulent sedum.

The bearded Iris is here early. I planted these bulbs last year and I am certainly pleased with their appearance. The Camellia japonica is of unknown cultivar but it is a beauty.

Both of these azalea blooms are overexposed but they are gorgeous. The indica has larger leaves and bigger blooms than the kurume. These are classic azaleas now that by far the Encore azaleas dominate the garden nurseries.

Hope the weather is not a problem tomorrow. Happy gardening!

Autumn Colors 15 Nov 2024

Last week, I spent several days on the Gulf Coast of Northwest Florida. The area is known as the Florida Panhandle. It is about a 4 hour drive from here in North Central Alabama to the beautiful white sand beaches near Destin, Florida. It was a glorious time with excellent weather.

We had some rain 2 days ago so the fall colors are persisting. Fall clean up continues and most of the less hardy plants have been moved to places of shelter. It has not yet been cold enough to plant bulbs but there are many other tasks to occupy my time.

As usual, I will be sharing this blog with the Six on Saturday crowd in the morning. Come join us and see what gardeners from around the world are doing. The site is here https://gardenruminations.co.uk. If you wish, post 6 of your own by following the instructions that you will find there.

The dogwood is showing magnificent color. The one on the right is showing the floral bud which will not bloom in early April.

This camellia blooms in January. It is Kramer’s supreme.

This begonia will bloom until frost. I usually cut it down before then. It makes a drippy mess if you don’t.

The hardy mum is in its second year and is spreading and putting on quite a show. I believe that this one is ‘Mrs. Gloria’s Thanksgiving Day’.

The camellia is a sasanqua. I captured an image with the bud showing how the outer petals are pink while the inner double petals are bright white. This is quite a show stopper.

Hope you are enjoying the fall. Happy Gardening!