Our pink camellia is just starting to open, always the first real flower of the new year. Camellias still bloom on every block in old Seattle neighborhoods. They live for decades and some of the bushes are massive. The flowers are absolute perfection-- until the rain turns them brown and the petals blanket the sidewalks.
I think messy camellias and other old-fashioned blooming shrubs like azaleas have gone out of style. Native to Asia, these plants were brought to England in the 1700's through the British East India Company. In the 1800's, camellias were the height of fashion and the ultimate Parisian luxury flower. Hot house orchids eventually took their place and camellias were demoted to the garden.
La Dame aux Camelias was written by Alexander Dumas (1824-1895) when he was 23 years old, based on his brief affair with a dying courtesan. The play became Sarah Bernhardt's signature role, and later Verdi wrote the tragic opera La Traviata based on the same story.
Sarah Bernhardt, La Dame Aux Camelias
Speaking of rain, it's back, although the skies are already noticeably less gloomy than December. In a few days, sunset reaches 5 pm.
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