DAY 35 (10 MAY) – Camellias (Camellia japonica) (Farnham)
It’s hard not to like camellias. For months of late winter and early spring, they are the only really dramatic plant around. Native to south and east Asia, they arrived in England in the 18th century and by the mid-19th were considered the luxury flower.
But I’m wondering if I don’t prefer them dying. In gutters, on pavements and drains they now present as truly beautiful potpourris. Some flowers have gone. Others still have a delicate pulse like Dumas’ famous creation La Dame aux Camélias.
