For a variety of reasons, I have not posted any diaries lately. Even on days when I was stuck at home, I would find something else to do. Meanwhile, I have plenty of ideas, and no shortage of pictures, waiting to be assembled into diaries. I simply need to motivate myself to do them, and then hit “Publish.”
The Daily Bucket is a nature refuge. We amicably discuss animals, weather, climate, soil, plants, waters and note life’s patterns spinning around us.
We invite you to note what you are seeing around you in your own part of the world, and to share your observations in the comments below.
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Rarely do I say good things about non-native species. We Bucketeers have had numerous spirited discussions about invasive plants and animals. But there are some species that pose no known threat, and they make our lives a little brighter. One such species is Camellia japonica, the Japanese Camellia. Its blooming season runs through the coolest months of the year, giving us showy flowers at a time when bright colors are otherwise scarce.
I’ve lived in the same house for 20 years. Some of my neighbors have camellias. They bloom faithfully every winter, and I’ve never seen any evidence of invasive tendencies.
My immediate reason for this diary is that, after driving past Massee Lane Gardens dozens of times, I finally took the time to stop and look around. That was on January 10, an unseasonably warm day with temperatures in the 70s.
Let’s take a walk down the yellow red brick road to see what’s blooming.
Massee Lane Gardens are located in central Georgia, about 2.5 miles north of Marshallville, and 5 miles south of Fort Valley, far enough west of Interstate 5 that the place does not draw many casual visitors. The gardens are about 35 miles southwest of Macon.
From the website for the Gardens:
One of the world's finest collections of camellias fills a nine-acre area at Massee Lane. Brick walkways surround the camellia trees for easy viewing. The Abendroth Japanese Garden, the Scheibert Rose Garden, and beautiful plantings of daffodils, daylilies, chrysanthemums, azaleas, flowering trees, annuals and perennials add to the year-round beauty. Massee Lane had its beginnings as the private garden of David C. Strother in the 1930's. Mr. Strother donated this land to the American Camellia Society for its headquarters in 1966. Strother was quite a collector - the millstones he brought into the garden have become a Massee Lane signature. The old wire road mile markers, some with the mile number still visible, add another dimension to the garden.
That concludes the tour of Massee Lane Gardens. What’s happening in your part of the world today?
SPOTLIGHT ON GREEN NEWS & VIEWS POSTS EVERY SATURDAY AFTERNOON (PACIFIC TIME) ON THE DAILY KOS FRONT PAGE. BE SURE TO LOOK FOR THE STORIES YOU MISSED. RECOMMEND AND COMMENT TO THANK METEOR BLADES FOR HIS DEDICATED CURATION.
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