Camellias and Conversation

Camellia ‘Snow Flurry’

I am convinced certain plants in my garden do all they can to avoid blooming on the 15th of the month when I host Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day.

Perhaps they are shy? Don’t like to be photographed and publicized? Or maybe they wanted a post of their own?

My camellia ‘Snow Flurry’ was in full bloom the day after bloom day. I had to show it in bud for bloom day. Then the next day, which is today, the petals were all shattered and scattered on the ground.

So much for the big show.  Southern gardeners would point and laugh if they saw the size of the plant this one bloom is on. You see, after 18 months in the ground, give or take, it is really just one stem. One stem, maybe 12 inches tall. No branching, yet.

The other camellia that survived last winter, ‘April Remembered’ is a much more impressive plant when compared to ‘Snow Flurry’. Though compared to what it might look like if it was growing in the south, it’s not something I want to show too much on my blog.  Just close ups.

Lest you all think I have lost my mind coddling these camellias in the Garden of Southern Follies and Delights, did I mention the other plants that I’ve added?

Did I mention I added three crape myrtles earlier this summer and then planted out two gardenias that I got as trial plants at the GWA conference? And did I mentioned I planted crinums? And I have three more camellias from the GWA conference in little pots that I really should get planted soon so they at least have a chance.

If I mentioned them, I apologize for being redundant.

It’s been so warm lately that even I’m starting to think I’m gardening in the south now. Today, the warm breeze was just freaky to this Midwestern gardener. At this point in the gardening year, I should be wearing long-sleeve shirts and shivering a bit as I frantically run around the garden preparing for winter.

Instead, today I wore shorts and a t-shirt and spent some time just sitting in the garden looking at the blue sky, feeling the warm breeze, and thinking that Mother Nature is tricking me into complacency when it comes to fall clean up.

And I’m allowing myself to be tricked.

But at night when I lay my head down on my pillow I vow that tomorrow will be different. I will act like it is the later half of October and get on with garden clean up. I will weed, plant trees and shrubs, plant bulbs, rake leaves.  I will act like it is fall, even though it feels like summer.

Well, it sort of feels like summer, except for the sun getting up later each morning, which I find myself doing too. And the sun is setting earlier each evening.

At least I am not falling for the early sunset trick! I’m staying up past sunset.  I have that going for me.

Now, don’t let me come back here and post anything else until I’ve weeded that vegetable garden and the Garden of Southern Follies and Delights, too.