Tag Archives: Camellia

In A Vase On Monday—Diminutive Treasures

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In A Vase On Monday-Sasanquas

In A Vase On Monday-Sasanquas

Each Monday brings the chance to join Cathy’s In A Vase On Monday to share an arrangement using materials gathered from the garden.

Mornings now are frosty and very little is blooming in the garden. This past week I bought several flats of pansies and violas on sale and planted them out in the meditation circle. I hope they will quickly establish themselves; already a few tiny ones are blooming which I picked for today’s vase.

Viola

Viola

Other minuscule flowers, 3 red dianthus and a sprig of candytuft, were surprise finds, but almost too small to use.

Viola

Viola

 

Viola and Dianthus

Viola and Dianthus

I decided to round out the group with some stems of sedum, yarrow and a couple of camellia buds.

Yarrow

Yarrow

The camellias were larger in scale and became dominant, but the other tiny items add color and texture.

Camellia sasanqua 'Yuletide'

Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’

Materials
Achillea filipendulina (Fern-leaf Yarrow)
Sedum rupestre ‘Angelina’ (Angelina Stonecrop)
Camellia sasanqua ‘Hana-Jiman’
Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’
Dianthus ‘Ideal Select Red’
Iberis sempervirens (Candytuft)
Viola

In A Vase On Monday-Camellia sasanqua 'Yuletide' and Dianthus 'Ideal Select Red'

In A Vase On Monday-Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’ and Dianthus ‘Ideal Select Red’

These cyclamen and green chrysanthemums are flowers I purchased to use for some early holiday entertaining, so thought I would share them today also. The cyclamen will be used to decorate the fireplace and may eventually make their way into a vase.

Cyclamen

Cyclamen

These versatile glasses were a wedding gift from a college roommate and still good friend. When not in use for serving liqueurs, the glasses work well for holding flowers.

Chrysanthemums

Chrysanthemums

Chrysanthemums

Chrysanthemums

Thanks to Cathy for hosting this weekly flower arranging addiction. Visit her at Rambling In The Garden to discover what she and others are placing In A Vase On Monday and feel free to join in.

A Wander Through A Riparian Urban Garden

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Wyatt Visitors Pavilion Entrance - Cape Fear Botanical Garden

Wyatt Visitors Pavilion Entrance – Cape Fear Botanical Garden

On Easter weekend my husband and  travelled 70 miles south to Fayetteville, North Carolina, to visit two of my sisters. One sister volunteers at Cape Fear Botanical Garden and after a delicious lunch, she and I managed to escape for a couple of hours to tour the garden. It was my first time seeing it, though I had wanted to for a long time.

The tulips were beautiful the day we were there. A cheerful planting greeted us at the entrance to the visitors center. Once we had our tickets we emerged out the back of the center we immediately encountered more tulips. My sister is at the garden weekly and for some time had been admiring this lovely group.

Tulips

Tulips

Tulips

Tulips

Also just outside the visitor center door I had to stop to enjoy two copper-toned planters, on either side of the path, each holding a Japanese maple.

Planter behind Wyatt Visitors Pavilion

Planter behind Wyatt Visitors Pavilion

 

Planter behind Wyatt Visitors Pavilion - Looking toward Cypress pond

Planter behind Wyatt Visitors Pavilion – Looking toward Cypress pond

The brick path between the two planters (in the lower right above) led through an arbor where I was soon captivated by this little unfamiliar daffodil known as Narcissus ‘Hawera’ (Hawera Daffodil).

Narcissus 'Hawera' (Hawera Daffodil)

Narcissus ‘Hawera’ (Hawera Daffodil)

Fayetteville has an annual dogwood festival that was coming up and the dogwoods we saw this day were further along in bloom than mine back home. Dogwoods are understory plants that love the forest’s edge. They thrive under these loblolly pines.

Cornus florida (Flowering Dogwood)

Cornus florida (Flowering Dogwood)

The varied terrain of this 80-acre garden allows visitors to enjoy an open pine forest (quite typical of this region) that soon gives way to sandy paths and nature trails leading through hardwood forests and eventually sloping down to meet the Cape Fear River.

Preserved natural areas are home to indigenous plants and wildlife while the cultivated areas feature 2,000 varieties of ornamental plants.

The garden has extensive and well-known collections of daylilies, hostas and camellias. Actually it was the camellias I had especially wanted to see.

Due to a combination of illness and wintry weather I had missed attending the 69th Fayetteville Camellia Festival hosted in this garden a few weeks earlier. Luckily a good number of camellias were still in bloom at Easter, including this pale pink Camellia japonica ‘Magnoliaeflora.’

Camellia japonica ‘Magnoliaeflora’ 1886

Camellia japonica ‘Magnoliaeflora’ 1886

In close proximity to the Camellia Garden sits the Children’s Garden featuring this oversized chair with a seat cushion of Clematis armandii (Evergreen Clematis).

Oversized chair in Lilliput Labyrinth Garden

Oversized chair in Lilliput Labyrinth Garden

Working our way back from the Camellia Garden we paused to admire a redbud along side the Cypress Pond and check out the frog fishing off the pier.

Redbud in bloom at Cypress pond

Redbud in bloom at Cypress pond

Eventually we came to a picturesque gazebo with red maples in the background.

Butler Gazebo - Cape Fear Botanical Garden

Butler Gazebo – Cape Fear Botanical Garden

Further along the path there were azaleas, rhododendron, viburnum and this attractive plant brightening the fence. Unfortunately I could not find a label for this one.

Bluff Garden and Cross Creek Overlook

Bluff Garden and Cross Creek Overlook

Bluff Garden and Cross Creek Overlook-2 Bluff Garden and Cross Creek Overlook

We did not have time to see the entirety of this botanical garden on that afternoon so we did not actually make it all the way down to the Cape Fear River. But this section is referred to as Bluff Garden and Cross Creek Overlook. It was quite restful and peaceful as we sat watching this view of Cross Creek and listening to the birds.

Bluff Garden and Cross Creek Overlook

Bluff Garden and Cross Creek Overlook

With time running out we retreated back toward the visitors center. First though we had one more stop to make.

Historic Eastern Carolina Farmhouse

Historic Eastern Carolina Farmhouse

The McCauley Heritage Garden features a furnished historic eastern Carolina farmhouse that was built in Eastover, Cumberland County in 1886 by Alexander Carter.  The house was relocated to CFBG on February 3, 1996. It really is a quintessential style house common to this area.

It is here that my sister hangs out when volunteering each week, guiding visitors through the farmhouse. Unfortunately no one was working the day we visited so I had to peek inside the window to catch a glimpse of the interior.

Historic Eastern Carolina Farmhouse

Historic Eastern Carolina Farmhouse

Historic Eastern Carolina Farmhouse

Historic Eastern Carolina Farmhouse

Interior - Historic Eastern Carolina Farmhouse

Interior – Historic Eastern Carolina Farmhouse

Also on display along with the farmhouse is a typical tobacco barn and a general store that was once operated by the Carter family.

Tobacco Barn

Tobacco Barn

General Store

General Store

General Store

General Store

In front of the farmhouse was an extensive kitchen garden with roses, nepeta and herbs. Raised beds in another portion of the heritage garden are used for growing flowers and vegetables, part of a gardening therapy program for war veterans returning to nearby Ft. Bragg.

McCauley Heritage Garden

McCauley Heritage Garden

The sandy path leading us back to the visitors center was lined with a beautiful forsythia hedge, much of which had already finished blooming for this year.

Sandy Path Along Forsythia Hedge

Sandy Path Along Forsythia Hedge

As we returned to the visitors center there were yet more tulips to admire. This was my favorite.

Tulips

Tulips

I really enjoyed finally getting to see the Cape Fear Botanical Garden first-hand. My sister made a wonderful guide and it was great to spend time with her. When we returned my other sister had managed to clean up the dinner dishes, package up several days worth of leftovers for us to take home, and she also had coffee and dessert waiting for us, a decadent chocolate pound cake. Good food, lovely garden, and loving sisters. It was a nice day.

Sisters’ Garden In Late Winter

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Camellia

Camellia

Last summer when I visited their new home my sisters’ garden was a cool green respite from the August heat.  When I visited this week their shrubs and early bulbs were providing plenty of seasonal color in these last days of winter.

The garden, filled with mature plantings, has been a joy for them as plant surprises unfold regularly. Numerous Camellias have provided a progression of blooms.

One exciting surprise for me was seeing they have Snowdrops Snowflakes
growing in a sunny front border along with a variety of Narcissus. I let my sisters know my garden has none but could use a Snowdrop Snowflake or two when these need to be divided. [Note: Pauline helped me identify these correctly as Leucojum (Snowflake), not Galanthus (Snowdrop). Thanks so much Pauline!]

In the back part of the garden tall palm trees intermingle with hardwoods, pines, and magnolias. On this day robins, cardinals and numerous other birds darted overhead from tree to tree or pecked along the ground, filling the air with their chatter.  Sonorous wind chimes sang along. Secluded and peaceful, this garden inspires calm and serenity.

Palm Canopy

Palm Canopy

New Growth On Magnolia

New Growth On Magnolia

Along the side of the property golden Forsythia flowers stand out against the deep green English Ivy. English Ivy is widespread in this garden and is invasive in the Southeast. My sisters have begun hand-pulling the vines this winter and will probably be dealing with it a long time.

Forsythia and English Ivy

Forsythia and English Ivy

Several garden sculptures bring personality and charm to the setting.

Garden Bear
Garden Bear
Garden Rabbit

Inside the house is a collection of orchids in the sun room. They are all beautiful, especially this one with its rich, exotic color.

Orchid

Orchid

This is a lovely garden and in a few weeks irises, dogwoods, rhododendron and azaleas will be the stars. I am looking forward to the next visit with my sisters.

Garden Walk In Early December

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During a late afternoon ramble through the garden I noticed the simple dignity and beauty of this fading Clematis flower.

Clematis 'Jackmanii'

Clematis ‘Jackmanii’

For the most part I have been letting the plants die back naturally, leaving seed heads for the birds and winter interest. This suits my gardening style and is a good way to postpone cleanup chores until at least January.

Four and five-foot stalks of Rudbeckia hirta ‘Irish Eyes’ criss-cross and lean along the southern side path, each topped with brown cones. At the base its large leaves are in various stages of change.

Seed heads of Rudbeckia hirta 'Irish Eyes'

Seed heads of Rudbeckia hirta ‘Irish Eyes’

Leaves of Rudbeckia hirta 'Irish Eyes'

Leaves of Rudbeckia hirta ‘Irish Eyes’

This fall there have been several brief periods of cold nights and a couple of hard frosts, but soon the weather warms again. A small Spiraea transplant, after experiencing this transition from cold to mild temperatures and detecting a similar amount of daylight as in spring, sent out a few more flowers this week, even as its leaves turned rich red-orange rust and rosewood.

Spiraea Blossoms

Spiraea Blossoms

Rust-colored Spiraea Leaves

Rust-colored Spiraea Leaves

In many areas mounds of Aquilegia canadensis (Eastern red columbine) soften the garden at this time of year and fill the beds with soft greens, reds, yellows and burgundies.

Aquilegia canadensis (Eastern red columbine)

Aquilegia canadensis (Eastern red columbine)

Aquilegia canadensis (Eastern red columbine)

Aquilegia canadensis (Eastern red columbine)

The cold temperatures have damaged many of the sasanqua blooms, but the shrubs are full of buds and continue to brighten the northeast corner of the house.

Camellia sasanqua

Camellia sasanqua

Camellia sasanqua

Camellia sasanqua

Camellia sasanqua

Camellia sasanqua

Camellia sasanqua 'Yuletide'

Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’

Almanac

Fifty-two degrees at 4:50 pm. Overcast most of the day. The sky was deep blue and clear during my garden walk but the sun was low and most of the garden had fallen into shadows. Chapel Hill and about two-thirds of the state are in a moderate drought with little chance of rain forecast. Temperatures will edge back up into the seventies by the weekend.

Late Afternoon In The Mid-October Garden

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There were delightful sights, sounds and scents in today’s garden. A large bee buzzed and hovered near my face long enough to fan my cheek, making me smile. Late afternoon sunlight danced atop Angelonia in the meditation path.

Angelonia angustifolia ‘Angelface Blue’ (Summer Snapdragon)

Throughout the garden Echinacea is in various stages of its life cycle. Many of the plants are fading even as new flowers emerge on others.

Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower)

More Camellia sasanqua flowers appear daily. The variety of this Camellia is unknown, but it is a highly fragrant one.

Camellia sasanqua

I noticed the first Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’ blossom is open. It seems early but actually last year this shrub was blooming on October 25.

Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’

Another fragrant shrub, Daphne odora ‘Aureomarginata’ (Winter daphne), bloomed from late January to March last year. Today a dainty Daphne blossom made an early appearance.

Daphne odora ‘Aureomarginata’ (Winter daphne)

Garden Bloggers Foliage Day – September 2012

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Each month Garden Bloggers Foliage Day (GBFD), hosted by Christina of Creating My Own Garden of the Hesperides, is an opportunity to examine the contributions of foliage in one’s garden.  It is 83F this afternoon, the first day of autumn, sunny with a gentle breeze.

Primed to focus on foliage I started out walking around the front of the house this morning where glossy leaves of Daphne odora ‘Aureomarginata’ (Winter daphne) shone in the early light. The anomaly of red-tinged buds was an unexpected sight.

Daphne odora ‘Aureomarginata’ (Winter daphne)

Along the north side of the house is a very narrow strip separating our property from the neighbors’ drive. Planted at the northeast corner of the house is a Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’ and just beyond are several gardenias (variety unknown) that have bloomed well this year.

Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’

Both the camellia and the gardenia are trouble-free but do require some light pruning to keep from extending into the neighbors’ driveway. I had to trim them last month which I think stimulated this new growth on the Sasanqua.

New Growth On Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’

Listed variously as fall-blooming and winter-blooming, this Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’ bloomed last year by November 1.

Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’

A friend rooted the gardenias that grow here now and presented them to me when they were just six or eight inches tall about ten years ago. This view is looking west toward the main garden.

Gardenia in Northern Border

Both the camellia and the gardenias are evergreen with nice glossy leaves.  These shrubs serve to hide utility units from the street, but flowers, such as this creamy Gardenia flower, are a bonus.

Gardenia Flower in Northern Border

Next to the gardenias is a grouping of Helleborus orientalis (Lenten rose) which add deep green color and texture now and will enliven this area in winter and spring when they bloom.

Helleborus orientalis (Lenten rose)

Moving down beyond the Hellebores the rest of the north side strip is planted mostly with Aquilegia canadensis (Eastern red columbine) and Aegopodium podagraria(bishop’s weed) that took over. The Aegopodium can be invasive and I have planned for several years to remove it. It will die back in the winter.

Narrow Property Strip

The reddened leaves of Aquilegia canadensis (Eastern red columbine) suggest a sense of autumn.

Aquilegia canadensis (Eastern red columbine)

This variegated Aegopodium is a shade-loving ground cover.

Aegopodium podagraria(bishop’s weed)

Flowering Dogwoods are native here but this is not a good example of one. It turned brown during a three-week dry spell in July and never recovered. Flowering dogwoods usually have beautiful red foliage in the fall.

Cornus florida (Flowering Dogwood)

The dogwood is setting fruit.

Cornus florida (Flowering Dogwood) Fruit

In front of the house near the street the Crape Myrtle that was blown over in July is rallying.  I was unable to match the variety reliably for a replacement so decided to see how it works out to let the tree recover on its own.  There are utility lines nearby so this is the easiest and least expensive approach.

Crape Myrtle

Crape Myrtle

Thanks to Christina for hosting this look at foliage.  For inspiration visit her at Creating My Own Garden of the Hesperides where you can find links to other Garden Bloggers Foliage Day entries.

A March ‘Coral Delight’

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Camellia 'Coral Delight' (C. japonica x C. saluenensis)

Along the northern side of the house the hellebores suddenly have a riotously colorful companion.  The Camellia ‘Coral Delight’ is in full bloom today.

With semi-double blooms of intense dark coral and featuring yellow stamens this is a standout evergreen shrub. It is slow-growing with a mature height and width of 6-8 feet. This particular one is barely 4 feet tall after 9 years, but for a few weeks every spring it puts on a gorgeous display.

I never can predict when this camellia will open and once again, it fooled me. It beat last year’s opening date of March 20 by sixteen days.

Garden Sightings

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The garden was a captivating place today. Some sights were seasonal, such as that of a bright red Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’ and a golden Jackmanii clematis seedhead.

Camellia sasanqua 'Yuletide'

Jackmanii clematis

Seeing the Iberis Sempervirens blooming in the meditation circle at this time of year is unusual.

Iberis Sempervirens (Candytuft)

Iberis Sempervirens (Candytuft)

Spiraea in this garden often sends out an early blossom or two, but this year the timing is early by many weeks.

Spiraea

Spiraea

This Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower) is not as showy as in summer but it has bloomed long past its expected timeframe.

Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower)

The next few days will offer a less hospitable environment for some of these unseasonable bloomers, as a cold front pushes through the area bringing freezing temperatures.

Garden Gallery

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With daytime temperatures in the seventies, the November garden holds surprising interest.

A Camellia And More

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Spied a pink camellia blooming just around the corner of the house the other day and today was the first opportunity to check it out. Though the past several days of rain have left this blossom wrinkly and tired, I still admired its interesting waxy, translucent skin. There will be many more blossoms soon, as the beautiful shrub itself is tightly packed with buds. For now the name of this camellia is lost, probably written down somewhere safe though.

Camellia

Here are a few other scenes from today’s garden:

End-of-Winter Beginning-of-Spring Inventory

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March 20, 2011. Today in this Northern Hemisphere town of Chapel Hill, N.C., the vernal equinox occurs at 6:21 pm.  This seems like a good time to inventory the garden.

The newly planted Blue Point Juniper hedge is doing well, but will not be providing much screening for several years.

Hyacinth

The earliest of the daffodils and the burgundy hyacinths are at the end of their bloom cycle. Iberis sempervirens (candytuft) and  Muscari (Grape Hyacinth) are opening slowly. Several sedums are emerging (the rabbits must be pleased).

Tradescantia (Spiderwort) is coming up in various spots and a few echinacea (Purple coneflower) have returned.

The first flower is open today on the White Flowering Dogwood, while ‘Flower Carpet’ Narcissus have been lovely for a week or more.

Coral Delight Camellia

A nice surprise in the garden today.

The spring-blooming camellia ‘Coral Delight’ popped out when I was not looking. I missed checking on it yesterday and today discovered several blossoms had opened wide.

Daylilies attract the deer so I am trying to pull out many of them.  I must hurry to finish the job before they grow any larger or they will be too tough to dig out. Some of the resulting space freed so far was used to transplant a few Shasta daisies.

Hellebore- Lenten Rose

Hellebore (Lenten Rose), which opened one month ago, continue to bloom profusely in their charming manner.

The newly planted Sweet William is doing well and the evergreen HeucheraPenstemon is recovering from the long winter. Digitalis Purpurea ‘Alba’ or ‘Camelot White’ (Foxglove) looks promising.

Small pink yarrow, tansy, lamb’s ears and rose campion (shown here), all rather aggressive growers, are coming back strong.

The old-fashioned spirea is the star in its section of the garden, brightening up the entire space of the western border.  (A pink saucer magnolia behind the spirea is a fortunate example of a borrowed view.)

Spirea

Nearby the Eastern Redbud competes for attention, deservedly so.

Redbud

Just one week ago the Jackmanii clematis had new leaves, but was still largely brown. Today it is lush with green.

Echinacea

Several black-eyed Susans echinacea (purple coneflower) seem pleased with their new location along the southern path. They were transplanted last year from an over-crowded spot where they did not have have enough sun.

Russian Sage and Bee Balm

Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage) is another transplant to this section of the garden; Monarda (Bee Balm) is just starting to emerge in this and several other sections of the garden.

Phlox subulata (Creeping Phlox) has been blooming all over town but started opening only today in this garden.

Creeping Phlox

Phlox divaricata (Woodland phlox) has been a favorite in this garden, but it has not bloomed well in several years.

Woodland phlox

Aquilegia canadensis (Eastern Red Columbine) is quickly unfolding in several spots around the garden.

Eastern red columbine

Salvia (Meadow Sage) has started to form buds.

Meadow Sage

An iceberg rose should have been pruned earlier, but it is now getting its leaves. The deer find it delicious. There are several perky mounds of catmint. Sword-like leaves of these bearded iris seem to grow inches daily. The garden also has German, Japanese and Siberian iris and a couple of Dutch iris.

Catmint, Iceberg Rose and Iris

In some ways the garden appears bare but there are many other plants not even mentioned.  The inventory will have to be continued later.  One last thought for today though.

As I go about renovating this garden, I do recognize that improving the overall design and structure (or “bones) will make the garden more interesting year-round.  I have read that just having a collection of plants does not make a garden.  But at this time of year seeing my particular group of plants develop and mature provides immeasurable delight and satisfaction.  It is like having old friends come to visit.  And it feels like a garden.

Pruning My Garden Options

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Renovating the garden this year is exciting, yet overwhelming.  There are so many decisions; sometimes they seem to be firmly made.  Another day, the doubts are back.  A bit like life itself.

Visiting a garden center today did little to help finalize plant choices. Camellias.  What a lovely choice for a hedge: evergreen and very Southern. With the right selections, there could be blooms throughout the year or all at once in a mass of soft color.  But–is there too much sun; will the deer ruin them; do they require too much water?

Juniperus chinensis ‘Spartan’.  Possibly a good choice, but will it get too tall and overpower the perennial beds?  The winter color seems drab. Can make-do without a lot of watering, once established — a necessity for survival in this garden.

The garden center had some 3-4 foot pots that would make great accents in the garden. Using several of these would add height immediately, so smaller, less expensive specimens could make a big impact right away.

A meditation path still holds intrigue.  Stepping stones interplanted with creeping thyme would awaken the senses and offer a joyous way to experience the garden.  My old garden had such a path, and although it had not been conceived as a meditation path, each step did lead friends laughingly through the phlox, iris, coreopsis, zinnias, gladioli.

May decide to enclose the yard with a four-foot picket fence, the only style and height allowed in the neighborhood, having already installed the maximum amount of six-foot privacy on one side several years ago.  An expensive option, the deer could breech it, but might it deter them some?

It is not hard to select numerous things that would make a garden wonderful.  The difficulty is pruning my garden options.

Coral Delight Camellia

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Looking forward to watching the coral pink, semi-double blossoms of this ‘Coral Delight’ as they unfold.  This camellia is noteworthy as a rare winter bloomer.  The earliest photograph of its blooming in this North Carolina garden is late February.  By March it is usually in full show.

Camellia x ‘Coral Delight’ (C. japonica x C. saluenensis)