Camellias of white, red, pink and variegated hues grow abundantly in Selma this time of year. Yes, extreme cold can hurt them, but Alabama's state flower is one bloom that gardeners can usually count on for color in the winter.
They look pretty in a bud vase, or better yet, put a few blooms with their leaves in a shallow bowl for a centerpiece.
A pink camellia is entwined with Spanish Moss at Selma's Old Live Oak Cemetery. While the resting place is known for its spring beauty with blossoms of azalea and dogwood, it possesses a haunting grayness during the foggy, cloudy days of winter...that is, until the wanderer comes upon a camellia. This camellia bush is located near the Elodie Todd Dawson monumentthat was featured in an earlier post this year.