Phases of Camellia

~ melaniereynolds ~ 8 Comments
Cameilla Bud
Camellia beginning to open
Camellia mostly open
Camellia in full bloom
Camellia Bush

Camellia belongs to the family Theaceae. They’re found in eastern and southern Asia, from the Himalayas east to Japan and Indonesia. While this plant is not native to my region, the Pacific Northwest, Western North America. It is a good friend to the PNW gardener. It’s ability to “plays well with others” and not dominate everything in the landscape gives it an A+ in my opinion! It’s content to share space with native ferns and Redwood sorrel. I’m sorry, I don’t know which species of Camellia this is.

Feel free to use any of these pictures for artistic inspiration. If you do, please comment with a link or email me. I would love to see it! Thank you!

Es luna llena/It is full moon

~ Patricia Lezama ~ 3 Comments

The full moon on April 26th, 2021, inspired my dear friend Adriana María Botero Vélez, in Colombia. She wrote this poem in Spanish and I am here translating it with her love and permission.

Photo and poem by: Adriana María Botero Vélez

Only who loves in silence knows how to nourish on fantasy.
There is no use resisting.
It is so pleasant to wake up with his smile humming on my lips.

Perhaps he may never know how my wounds heal

or what my hair smells like,

nor the times I have tried to leave him forever.


If you knew this, you would be certain to be an anchor to life.

But if I were to tell you
I would miss sailing on the high seas,
and today
it is a full moon.

Solo quien ama en silencio sabe nutrirse de fantasía.

De nada vale resistirse.

Es tan grato despertar con su sonrisa tarareándose en mis labios.

Quizás nunca sabrá como sana mis heridas, ni a que huele mi cabello,

ni las veces que he intentado dejarle para siempre.

Si usted lo supiera tendría la certeza de ser un ancla a la vida.

Pero si yo se lo dijera

me perdería de navegar en alta mar

y hoy es luna llena.

Namaste, India

~ melaniereynolds ~ 8 Comments

Sending you light and love during this dark time.

May the aid sent from the U.S. and other countries reach you swiftly.

How does ‘Namaste’ translate to English? “The sacred in me recognizes the sacred in you.”