Winter is over and so too are Camellias. They bloom from December into early April. Here are the last blooms from my plants which I overwinter in a cold room in my house.
Camellia with branch of Cherry.
The vase is by the Navajo American artist Samuel Manymules.
Same branch of Cherry. Different Camellia and vase.
This Shigaraki style vase is by Sue Kotulek
The light in the tea house is natural and wonderful when dark and dusky. It shows off this pale pink Camellia highlighted by the grey, subdued vase by Sue Kotulek. The branch is a budding Pussy Willow. The scroll reads:“Everyday is a good day.”
Not only are the buds of a Camellia beautiful, but so too are the glossy, green leaves. Here they are paired with a branch of budding Magnolia in a vase by Frances Palmer.
Indian summer has come to an end. The nights are cold and even though we haven’t had a hard frost yet, I’ve brought in the Camellias to over winter. I also dug up the Papyrus ‘King Tut’ that I have been growing this year in the garden. In the pots they seem huge. I’ll keep them well watered and hope they make it through the winter.
Camellias seem to like this room with lots of light that I keep
unheated during the winter.
In the garden this Papyrus didn’t seem so big, but it’s almost touching the ceiling of my bedroom where I hope it survives the winter.
Click here to read more about my Camellias and how we use them for Tea
In winter a Camellia is the preferred flower in the tearoom. It blooms from October through April. Each flower may last for several days but only the bud is used with a deciduous branch from a shrub or tree such as Viburnam or Fothergilla.
The structure of the branch is what is most appreciated. During a tea gathering, which can last four hours, the Camellia bud will slowly open.
– excerpt A Tea Garden in Tivoli
Camellias are native to China and Japan. They grow well in moist mild winter areas.
Here in Zone 5, I overwinter potted Camellias in a cold room of my house
This Camellia is called Shiro Wabisuke which I ordered
from Nuccio”s Nurseries
www.nucciosnurseries.com
It will have small, single white blossoms.
There are over 250 species of Camellias. The most widely grown are the Camellia Japonica. In the United States , Camellias grow well in moist, mild winter areas like the South, California, and the Pacific Northwest.
Camellia Japonica with a branch of Arrowood Viburnam.
The vase is a Native American Navajo pot.
Camellia called Akebono “Dawn”. The vase is by the American potter Frances Palmer.
While the flowers are very beautiful, only the bud is used in Tea.
It will slowly open during the tea gathering.
Links:
Nuccio”s Nursery
Frances Palmer Pottery
