I focused on two of the stars of my January garden this week. One is close to reaching its peak and the other is nearly past it and both deserve a little time on the center stage.
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| This is Camellia williamsii 'Taylor's Perfection'. I think it was the first plant I bought for my garden here after we moved in. I had several Camellias in my former tiny garden but, due to our persistent problem with drought, this is the only one I've planted here. Luckily, I also inherited a few well-established Camellia sasanqua with the garden. |
Camellias generally don't last long in a vase but I enjoy having them in the house, if only briefly, so I can enjoy their beauty up close.
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| I chose an asymmetrical glass vase and plants with subtle pink touches to let the Camellias shine |
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| Back view: The yellow at the throat of the Nemesia picks up the color at the center of the Camellia in a subtle echo |
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| Top view |
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| Clockwise from the left: Camellia williamsii 'Taylor's Perfection', Coleonema pulchellum 'Sunset Gold', Leptospermum scoparium 'Pink Pearl', and Nemesia 'Snow Angel' |
I usually feature the flower-like bracts of
Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder' in a vase earlier in January.
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| These plants get big! I brought the one on the left with me from my old house in a pot and it exploded in size once planted in the ground. The one on the right has only been in the ground 3 years but it's already giving me reason for concern that it might outgrow its spot. I cut both down by about half once their winter "bloom" cycle is cover. |
Some of the yellow bracts of the
Leucadendron are already developing the reddish color they get as they age and the central cones are gradually shifting from yellow to brown so the window to share them in a vase was narrowing.
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| The only floral accents I included were a few stems of paperwhite Narcissus |
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| Back view |
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| Top view |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder', Corokia x virgata 'Sunsplash', Leptospermum 'Copper Glow', noID Narcissus, and Phormium 'Maori Queen' |
We had a few warm days last week and expect to have even higher temperatures in the mid-to-upper 70sF this week. Sadly, there's no rain in the forecast for the next couple of weeks but, if we can't have rain, maybe I'll at least have some new blooms to share next week.
For more IAVOM posts,
check in with Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.
All material © 2012-2020 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
