Throughout the winter months, we depend on many varieties of camellias to provide color and interest to Gulf Coast gardens. In fact, it is Alabama’s state flower.

The first five pictures I’m showing today are not from my garden. Only the last collage is the camellia from my frontyard.

These three beauties you see above are from my friend’s yard. I think her grandfather planted them a half century ago. They may be the varieties called Perfection. If that’s not in their names, it certainly should be.

This was a huge Camellia japonica shrub I saw on the grounds of a local hospital. I took these pictures in early November. The flower shape is more open than the double or semi-double varieties.

Camellia sasanqua is a species with smaller, more delicate blossoms. I took this picture at a shopping center earlier this month. Although some of these may be kept to three-foot hedgerows, as you see above, others can be tall tree-like forms.

About three years ago, I planted a white sasanqua in my backyard. It has not bloomed since it went into the ground, but there were flowers on the shrub when I bought it. What do you think the problem might be?

These are gorgeous red, tight, compact blooms on a large shrub in a churchyard. The frilly centers look like crinoline petticoats. Is there a word for double-double? (Apologies to Shakespeare.)

Finally, this is a Camellia japonica in my frontyard. It blooms from early October until spring. I took these pictures yesterday. It’s filled with flowers right now, and there are still buds ready to open. I love having about five or six months of color from this faithful shrub.

My deep crimson camellia in the back is full of buds that are ready to burst open, but no blossoms yet. It’s a really late bloomer, compared to many other varieties. I’ll show you that one, whenever it does start to show its stuff. It’s truly worth the wait.

God’s blessings on you all this week, in whatever your endeavors might be.

Shalom, Dottie

Once again, I want to give a shout-out to the guy who originated Six on Saturday. You can find him at his Twitter: ‎@cavershamjj

His blog is: https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com/2020/01/25/six-on-saturday-25-01-2020/