On my morning walk with Presley, I wind my way through a section I call the dark woods. It's not really a woods, it's a densely wooded lot between two houses. The tree shaded road is a welcome respite in hot Middle Georgia summers.
Before I walk into the wooded area I pass this vacant lot. Unknown vines, trees, weeds, and what have you grow over what I believe was the foundation of the former house. There are derelict signs from a former life. A junked car is behind this mound covered with it's own green blanket. There is an old charcoal grill parked next to pre-fab concrete steps that must have led to a mobile home at one time. The green grown hides litter and provides a safe haven for various wildlife. I do not let Presley venture into the green mounds.
Years ago this was someones country home. I wonder what happened to the family. Did they sell their surrounding land, take the money, and move away? It is a vacant lot, but it is green and lush with growth and not really an eye sore. Imagine my delight on a chilly, but spring-like day last year I made an important discovery. In what would have been the side yard, I noticed a bit of pink peeking out over a small hill of Georgia clay. Here, in this abandoned, unloved acreage, I found these lovely camellias.
Sheltered by towering pine trees, there are several camellia's blooming up a storm right now. This particular one is called
Pink Perfection, one of my favorites.
I clip these blooms and bring them home. Yes, I am probably trespassing, but I feel it is a shame to waste these beautiful blooms.
Camellias remind me of both of my grandmothers who grew magnificent specimens. I don't have camellia's in my lake yard, but I claim these abandoned shrubs for my own.
