Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Pink Trees & Camellias Around The Block

Take a walk with me.
Down the sidewalk we have white flowers peeking out of iron fencework.   Whoa, don't clobber yourself on that shutter.


Ah, some beautiful Saucer Magnolias (Magnolia x. Soulangiana) are out on the left, and a beautiful camellia on the right.



Back across the street I spy some more Saucer Magnolias and some unknown pretty pink trees.




And there are no flowers yet here (though they have grand gardens) but look at this ridiculous (in a magnificent way) house!   I keep hoping to run into the owner at the grocery store so she'll invite me over to drinks and let me check out her (entirely walled) garden!

Continuing on, here's another camellia just about to break out and a little face on a palm tree guarding the house.


Rounding the next corner what do we have here?? A nearly perfectly round red bush.   The Queen of Hearts would be proud.  But wait... do I see a bit of white under that red!! oh, no!


One more bit of pink hanging out behind the aspidistra.  Oh, wait there's another hidden down a driveway.  He's looking mighty stripey.



Turning again on the next corner I see my favorite pink bush on the block though... the one in front of home sweet home.


15 comments:

  1. Well, it looks like spring has definitely arrived in your neck of the woods. The flowers are just beautiful--the perfect complement to the structures.

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  2. That camellia that you said the Queen of Hearts would be jealous of looks like mine, a 'Governor Mouton'. Mine really bloomed out for the first time this year.

    My two best friends are traveling down to Charleston today for a few days of fun. I'm so jealous!

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  3. The plants you photographed are beautiful but the settings are all magnificent. I really want to visit Charleston someday.

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  4. Thanks for the walk! Beautiful plants and very interesting houses. It looks so different from where I am, I really want to visit now.

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  5. I'm just a sucker for a black fence with roses. We took some of my daughter's senior portraits in front of a fence like that. ( not ours!)

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  6. Grace - yes, we are definitely in the pink here and any day now the banksia roses are going to bloom. I think it might be the most spectacular single event that happens here in Charleston plantwise, just because there are some in every yard.

    Kyna - I have no idea what any of them are called, even the one in my yard because it was here before I got here. Its one of the downsides of sidewalk gawking, because sometimes its impossible to tell exactly which varietal it is. I do hope your friends have fun. It is pretty quiet tourist wise in the city but any day now, it will be mad tourists til October.

    Carolyn - Yeah, the architecture around here pretty much always steals the show... I tried not to show most of the houses in full and yet they still steal the show. The entirety of downtown Charleston has been a historic district since the 1930s I believe, so much of what you see still looks like it did back then. My neighborhood (which was considered the first 'suburb' of Charleston (i.e. right outside the 1670 city walls!!! 3 minutes away on foot) and was primarily built between the 1790s and 1860s as Charleston expanded. You see a ton of neo-classic, federal and Charleston single style homes, and a smattering of early victorian stuff (second empire etc). Its a architecture lovers dream.

    Masha - I am very familiar with where you live and I must say yes it couldn't be any more different in climate, architecture, pace of life etc. We can grow a LOT of the same plants though, which is interesting... though you guys get away with a lot more because you don't have the sweltering humidity which tends to kill stuff. You should definitely visit Charleston if you are doing an east coast tour.. it is a one of a kind city for the USA.

    Rosey- I like them too. They are pretty ubiquitous here! In a few weeks they'll be hosting an unseemly amount of banksia roses.

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  7. Jess you live in a tropical paradise!! How beautiful everything looks with so many flowers. I'd love to wander around your town peeking at people's gardens

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  8. Marguerite - :) I am a walk-aholic around here, and the visuals of the city is one of the reasons I decided to live downtown. People are really nice too... they rarely seem to mind all my minor trespassing offenses.

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  9. I love all the wrought iron fences and gates, it was just meant to go with camellias. I've been to Savannah but not Charleston. I'd love to see it in spring.

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  10. Jess, this is incredible scenery, both the architecture and the gardens. Spring has paid you a wonderful visit with Magnolias and roses. I could fall in love with Charleston myself.

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  11. Hello dear Jess! When you go to visit the lady with the nice high fence and the seriously big house and garden can I come too? I promise I'll behave! Ah, those camellias are lovely and the magnolias too!

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  12. Gee, Jess, I guess it's spring in Charleston! What beautiful flowers. Thanks for sharing with those of us who are still waiting for spring's bounty. -Jean

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  13. That cast iron plant is amazing. I sure wish mine would grow that big. Love the camelias. So many flowers! I sure hope you bump into that home owner as I bet the garden is really something.

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  14. What a beautiful block you live on. Thanks for taking us with you on your walk. You've inspired me to visit Charleston again soon.
    I especially love the red & white striped camellia. We have one in the "yard" behind my office. I've never seen anything like it -- it must be 20 feet tall.

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