That's so funny Bill, we have stockade along the sides of the backyard and post and rail along the back lot line too. :-) I really like your camelias. They really make their presence known and the blossoms are so heavy and waxy looking. Really nice. I also like that green pot. Someone gave me a green ceramic pot last year and I am enjoying it. Daffodils and Bleeding heart are favorites of mine. Is that Ajuga and Eu*phorbia in the last photo? Sure looks like spring at your h*ouse!

Ann,

Yes the last one is ajuga and euphorbia myrsinites. A prickly pear is growing against the rock.

The larger camellia is about 11 years old, but was almost killed in the wicked winter of '04. At that time it was about 4 feet tall (which it is now) and the base was about an inch and a half thick. I thought it was a goner but pruned off only what I was certain was dead. Near the base there was green under the bark. Nothing happened until late June, when the TINIEST green speck appeared on one side of the "trunk". Then it started to grow and some others also. Five growing seasons later and it has become what you see by the patio against the fence.

I am excited about my Gardenia "Frostproof". It came through its first winter with flying colors. Not a leaf was damaged or lost, not even discolored! It looks "showroom new"! It had one little flower last year, so I'm hoping for more this year.

What do you think of my anti-squirrel tree art?

Oh, I almost missed the prickly pear among all that ajuga. So, did you buy a different variety of Prickly Pear over the weekend?

I didn't realize you've had the camelias so long. I guess they are pretty hardy to last that long. Isn't it funny how if you wait long enough sometimes they surprise you and pull through. Glad you didn't lose it. They are a nice size after five years. You could fit them into smaller spaces easily it seems. Do you have it up against the fen*ce for a micro climate or for support?

When I was at the nursery on Saturday, they had a gardenia blooming in the greenhouse. Mmmmm....LOVE that fragrance! I still have 'Frostproof' on my list. I'm not doing a lot of shopping this spring. I'm still trying to get everything I have into the right place.

Is that what that is? Squirrel-proofing? I thought I saw something shiny but I couldn't tell what it was...lol. Is that to keep them out of the tr*ee? Is it doing much good. [g]

Squirrel proof has worked like a charm for a few years........fingers crossed.

The camellia is up by the fence just because that's where I had room for it. It is self-supporting. They do get a lot bigger in time.

Beautiful gar*den, Bill. I love the patio block pathways. I'd never think to buy a green pot (I usually go for bright colors or terra cotta) but it lends a very restful look to the gar*den. I may have to reconsider my color scheme.

Spedigrees,
Thanks for the compliment. The shade of green on the pot caught my eye, and I think it looks nice surrounded by the two varieties of Euonymus. I'm thinking some light to medium pink flowers, something with chartreuse leaves, like coleus or sweet potato vine, maybe something airy with silver leaves or white flowers and a bold, burgundy dracaena spike.

In the photos near and around the patio area, all the green stuff that looks like weeds right now is actually Campanula. C. persicifolia I think. Two colors, one white and one purplish. Bloom most of the season on 3-4 foot spikes. They do self seed a lot but not uncontrollable.

I'm coveting your camellias, Bill. ;-) I was in Japan a couple of weeks ago and got to see not only the cherry blossoms in peak bloom, but camellias too! They were absolutely everywhere - lining the roads, in gardens, they were stunning. Most were pruned into a barrel-like shape, just loaded with flowers. I came home and immediately looked to see which ones might grow in my garden - if I had a spot for one. Which I don't. :( Here's a pic of one I took at the Buddhist temple in Narita

Is the pink flower an aquilegia? If so, I can't believe how much further along yours is compared to mine - I have 6 leprechauns and I doubt I'll see flowers before next week at the earliest.

Anyway your garden is so lovely! Mine is new - we had the overgrown mess that was here when we bought the house almost completely ripped out and redone last spring, so I have a while before it's filled in.

KP,

The pink flowers are Dicentra (called "Bleeding Heart"). If you look closely you can see that they resemble a heart shape with a white "drip" at the bottom.

There are lots of camellias that can grow in zone 6B. You might enjoy visiting www.camforest.com. They have a lot of hardy camellias. The "April" series is fairly extensive, and there are other spring blooming ones as well. Then there are all of the fall blooming ones too. I have "Snow Flurry" which has a double white flower. A little smaller than some flowers, but I can tell you it has proven rock hardy for me. Blooms usually around October and if the weather stays fairly mild, can go on until late November, maybe longer. Mine is 12+ years old and has literally hundreds of buds every year.

Camellia "Snow Flurry"

Camellia "Snow Flurry"

Bill

Sigh. I want one so badly. But I don't have a single spot for it - my entire lot is 50'x50' and half of that is taken up by my house! My small garden basically consists of 4 beds, each already having their own tree. (An Acer Fireglow, Stewartia, Chamaecyparis, and Acer Green Cascade.) Maybe if I ever rip out the only plants existing from the previous owner - yews (awful I know, but they are about 15' high and nicely screen my neighbors) one or two could take their place. :)

Snow Flurry has a low, spreading habit. It doesn't need to dominate the beds.

I know, you're right. I guess I just had my heart set on those barrels like I saw in Japan. ;-) However, since my garden was just installed last year and things are still pretty puny, I'm trying to resist the urge to put in anything more than annuals until things start filling in a bit. As it is, I'm going to have to start pulling things out when they get really mature - it was probably over planted to keep the garden from looking sparse in the meantime. So for now I need to be patient.... ;-)

From another of your posts, I gather you're in the Newport area and so have a milder climate than northern RI. You can probably have success with the spring blooming types of camellias. Many of those will grow rather upright, so they don't need a lot of space. I suggest a visit to www.camforest.com to read up about all the hardy varieties.

Bill

I was trying to look at Bill's camellia photos but they are showing up as question marks in blue squares. Is anyone else seeing the same?

I'm seeing the same thing.

Ann and Leslie,
Those photos were on a website that has closed down. I'll try to post some more soon.

Meanwhile, here's "April Rmembered" (or April Dawn - I don't know if it was labeled wrong but they are very similar) and "Snow Flurry"

{{gwi:507517}}

Bill