Perfect Camellia Blossom at Descanso Gardens

Today was Super Bowl Sunday. Yesterday, I said to Martine, “Let’s go somewhere. Everyone will be watching football, so traffic will be light.” And it was—except for the fact that Caltrans shrank the I-405 from six lanes to three for about six miles.

We had lunch at Martine’s favorite Armenian rotisserie chicken restaurant, Sevan Chicken in Glendale. Then we drove to Descanso Gardens and spent three hours there wandering around.

February is not normally known for flowers, but that doesn’t apply to camellias. According to the garden’s website:

There are more than 3,000 kinds of camellias ranging in color, form, and size. Native to Asia, camellias are hardy and have a long blooming season. The two most common species at Descanso are Camellia sasanqua that bloom in fall/winter and Camellia japonica that bloom in winter/spring.

Martine walked around a lot more than I did, but I found several comfortable benches and read from Zen Poems, a collection edited by Peter Harris, in which I found this apt poem:

Camellia Blossoms

My ancient hut’s a ruin, half-hidden under moss—
Who’d have his carriage pause before my gate?
But my servant boy understands that I’ve beckoned an honoured guest
For he leaves unswept the camellia blossoms that fill the ground.

An interesting sidelight: Unlike most Americans, I am not a coffee drinker. My beverage of choice is tea. Interestingly, tea is made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis, or Chinese camellia.