March 17, 2013 -- 'April Remembered'

I've been wanting a camellia to bloom so I could use it in this vase, and today one did. A special camellia  it is, too. Called 'April Remembered,' a friend gave it to me when my mother died. Much to my dismay, the shrub is not happy, but it manages to put out a few blooms each year. It's not unusual for the first bloom to come in March. There is some chance it might snow tonight, so I didn't feel bad about picking it. The twirly foliage is asphidistra, the other green leaves are aucuba.

             I am in desperate need of a course in PhotoShop so I can clean up these windowsills!