Winter suprise

Well this is sort of a test to see if I can post pictures using Picasa and Hello bot to my blog. Hope it works.

Our 1/2 price camellia japonica Spring's Promise (common camellia) that was planted last fall produced outstanding blooms starting in mid December. It tried to bloom last year but the frosts burned the two blossoms it managed to force out in a futile effort. The mild fall weather this year made for spectacular show especially when nothing else was blooming and all the leaves had long since turned brown and fallen. The camellia sinensis http://www.plantoftheweek.org/week046.shtml is a relative, commonly known as tea. Pretty spectacular flower for something we consume. I wonder if camellia japonica is drinkable? We planted three other camellias purchased from Home Depot that was the same price as the half off one but they haven't fared well at all. Two faltered because we planted them in a too exposed spot and one barely survived sheltered partially by the deck and since transplanted next to the blooming one next to the dryer vent. Camellia are hardy to USDA zone 7 so we're pushing it here in central Jersey with a zone 6 rating.

But just after I thought the show was over, one of the freebie anemonies that was given for buying a large order of plants by mail order, bloomed! The corms were dry and shriveled so I expected nothing but planted them anyway and was rewarded by this.