Historic Camellia Collection

Magnolia Gardens, Camellia Collection, Charleston, SC 

 For some reason I like doing the camellia garden walk after a cold spell. They are as beautiful as they die as they are in full bloom. Hope someone says that about me someday!

Plant Legends

Camellia, Middleton Place, Charleston, SC   

Plant Legends: Many centuries ago, the camellia hailed from Japan and China. In China, it was called the "Tea Flower." In Japan, it was called the "Tsubaki" and often was included in religious rituals, representing the divine. The Japanese also believed it was the flower that announced spring.
The Chinese, too, looked at the blossoms as sacred and planted camellias in the secret gardens of the Chinese emperors.
As much as the camellia was admired for its beauty, however, its early popularity was largely a matter of economics and culture.
One of the very early emperors of China had passed a decree ordering all water to be boiled as a sanitation measure. Supposedly, dried leaves from a tea camellia fell into his cup; the emperor, like millions of others who came after him, greatly enjoyed this drink, and the pleasure of "a cup of tea" was born.
Camellia sinensis (the tea camellia) was highly sought after by the Chinese, the Japanese and, soon after, by the British.
By 2737 BC, the Chinese were growing C. Sinensis. By the 17th century, tea had spread in popularity to Europe.
Although the tea camellia was highly desired for its prized leaves, its flowers are not the showstoppers of the Camellia japonica or the Camellia reticulata.

I don't know how much of that is true but someone had to drink the first cuppa tea. The Middleton Place web site has more details on how the plant came to Charleston and why they have so many.  

Camellia season

Camellia, Charleston, SC   

Sometimes I like them even more in the colorful carpet on the ground than I do in perfect bloom on the branch. I found this under a bush at Middleton Gardens.

More travel pictures to come after this blossom break! 

Camellia season

Camellia, Charleston, SC  

I found the camellia while working in the yard this morning and looking around for a vase, decided that it fit perfectly in a tea cup. The tea cup happens to be my mother's china pattern - Royal Albert Apple Blossom. After she passed away my sister Shirley made sure each of the Perry sisters had a china cup and saucer in the pattern and this is mine.

I hope everyone has had a good weekend. I went to a Christmas choir concert last night at the East Cooper Baptist Church and it was exactly what I needed to put me in the holiday mood. It was wonderful. 

Camellia season in the south

Camellia Garden, Charleston, S.C.

It's camellia season in the lowcountry. What a treat it is to have this splash of color on the evergreen bushes in the winter. There are over 1,000 varieties of camellias with shades of pinks, reds and white. I love the rusty edged pile of fallen petals that lay under the bushes as much as the rare perfect flowers.

A hospital donor (the Molony family) bought this garden of camellias for us. Can you imagine? What a perfect gift for a hospital. I took a detour this morning in the fog to see if they were in bloom and took these pictures.

I invited my tenants and my son to dinner tomorrow night and now I have to see if I remember how to cook. I have a giant pot of chicken and sausage gumbo simmering.