Camellias for Christmas

We hit 80 degrees this afternoon on this first day of winter. The Camellia bushes are blooming all around the yard. Turns out there are hundreds of Camellia varieties. Check out the American Camellia Society for a wealth of information on these gorgeous flowers. I remember my dad, who grew up on a farm in Cairo, GA in the southwestern corner of the state, bringing back Camellia cuttings in his suitcase from winter visits with my grandmother, who had big lovely bushes beside her Cairo home.

These pink beauties were the first blossoms I discovered by accident while taking a shortcut across the front yard a few days ago.

The biggest Camellia bush is in the side garden and looms above the wall that runs along the right front side of the house. These blossoms look like some kind of double variety. Ms. Marley, do you know what kind they are?

The bushes off the back porch are a dark pink variety. Here's the first blossom that finally unfolded this morning after yesterday's rain.

This speckled blossom didn't bloom until mid-January in the front yard but isn't it a nice addition to the camellia collection?