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| Fairy Blush Camellia |
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| Moss patina on picnic table |
Life abounds throughout the year at the golf course. What the Winter loses in colour, it certainly makes up in elegance. I found a few shrubs in all there hearty beauty, embracing the grey Westcoast Winter and bursting with blooms. Fairy Blush Camellia (
Camellia x 'Fairy Blush'), brimming with buds, has started blooming near the Men's change room entrance. The old gardening staple, Winter Heath (
Erica carnea), has sprays of pink and white blooms in various locations around the course. As well, as Christmas Rose (
Helleborus niger) has brightened up a few of the Winter containers with showy seasonal flowers. I'm particular fond of the appearance of the elegant pink buds on the Purple Laurustinus (
Viburnum tinus 'Gwenllian'), near the kiosk.
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| Winter heath |
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| New growth in hay bale |
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| Buds on Purple Laurustinus |
I also saw life breaking through the chilly weather right beside the Horticulture garage. The hay bales, resting on the pallets on the South side of the Turf Care Centre, were erupting with fresh new growth. Here are a few shots from a particularly sunny day last week. Check out these elaborate ice patterns formed in a set of tire tracks and the beautiful live moss patina growing on a picnic table at the TCC. An exceptional showcase of Mother Nature's artistic abilities.
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| Ice Formations in tire tracks |
This little Winter flowering showstopper has been putting on quite the show since late January and it's still blooming. This variety is being grown as an espalier container plant and goes by the name of Camellia 'Fairy Blush'. With delicate, apple blossom coloured blooms you can see how it got its name. This variety of Camellia is very compact growing - reaching a maximum height and spread of 4 to 5 feet. It enjoys filtered sun and is doing very well under the awning by the men's locker room entrance. Give it a little water if the top 3" of soil get dry otherwise it's a very low maintenance plant and can stop people in their tracks to see such a delicate bloomer so early in the season. I'm a big fan!
