Welcome to my January garden and the Huntington

 I am in my grandparents home.  When I was a child I lived 200 feet away, around the corner or through the back yards- whichever route was the choice of the day.  My Grandmother had a row of camellias in front of the house planted in the perfect spot: on the North side of the house in shade.  Camellias bloom in January and February in the "cool" months of California.  I have always loved them.  When I returned five months ago to this house I wondered how the camellias were doing.  Well they are still gorgeous:

There are five bushes.  Here is a sampling from each bush

bowl of one of each

the most prolific pink

The Huntington Library and Gardens in San Marino (near Pasadena) has a wonderful selection of camellias in their Japanese gardens.  (Camellias are native to Japan) so last week I took a lovely day trip to the gardens.

The gardens has a wonderful collection of art

Also a spectacular rose garden.  It is rose pruning time but these beauties (Jump for Joy) had not had their turn.  Lucky me

Jump for joy

stocks

I found the camellia gardens and they were filled with color

In a very tranquil setting.  Yes there were many other people visiting this day...You just don't notice that they are anywhere near

Japanese garden walk

tea house and restaurant

But to my surprise the camellias were not as showy as I remembered.  The docent said it had something to do with the heat last July being so intense (118 deg).  So when I returned home I returned to my front porch and the plants that have been neglected for at least twenty years.

red with bee

and I appreciated all the love my Grandmother had for her garden,  I have the red ones in a glass bowl.  I promise they will be loved and appreciated ( and fed) for as long as I am in this home

red in glass bowl