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February 8, 2010

What's blooming at the Baltimore Conservatory?

Photo credit: Michael Lemmon

February is cause to celebrate for the camellias are starting to bloom, adding a spectacular splash of color to the winter palette at the Baltimore Conservatory in Druid Hill Park.

Camellias are evergreen shrubs native to southern and eastern Asia and prized for their flowers of red, pink, and white.

Traditionally representing longevity and faithfulness in Asian culture, it has also become the official state flower of Alabama.

The genus was named after Georg Kamel, a Jesuit missionary and botanist stationed in the Philippines in the 17th century.

This specimen, a Camellia japonica, can display blooms up to 5 inches in diameter and was donated to the conservatory by the late Zenobia Kendig, a local camellia enthusiast.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 2:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Garden photography

Comments

When we lived in Houston, I had a camellia by the front door. It was pale pink and bloomed on Christmas Eve.

How lovely!--Susan

Posted by: Eve | February 9, 2010 10:12 AM

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About Susan Reimer

Susan Reimer has spent 16 years writing about raising kids - among other topics - in her column for The Baltimore Sun. And every time son Joseph or daughter Jessie passed another milestone - driver's license, college, wedding or a move to a new military duty station - she has planted another garden. Now she will be writing about those gardens - and yours - here on Garden Variety.

Susan isn't an expert gardener, but she wasn't an expert mother, either. Both - the kids and the gardens - seem to be doing well in spite of her.

She lives in Annapolis with her husband, Gary Mihoces, who loves to cut his grass but has noticed that there seems to be less of it every time the kids pass another milestone.

Follow @susanreimer on Twitter