Camellia carpets and other skirts

Walking around Newnan yesterday, I noticed many Camellias still blooming though past their peak. But what captivated me the most were the fallen flowers that had made colorful ground skirts.

a carpet of Magnolias and Camellias creates a tapestry of red and pink petals

Flower carpets are an often-overlooked result of allowing your camellias and other shrubs to grow into the trees they were destined to be. Keep in mind that shrubs, including Camellias, want to be small trees!

Though these fallen petals fade quickly, they are a fleeting work of Impressionist art that we should take time to appreciate.

I especially love the effect of Camellias with small to tiny flowers as they carpet the earth. Some of my favorites are Camellia rosaeflora, C. handelii (white), 'Gay Baby', 'Crimson Candles'- too many to name!

A carpet of Ginkgo leaves last October in Atlanta

Many other shrubs produce this effect, and even bright-colored autumn leaves brighten our surroundings as they gradually fade away on the sidewalk. After they turn brown and begin to attract flies, you can rake them up for compost.

an unknown white Camellia japonica (photo by Michael Scott)

So, I can't stress this enough, please don't shape your flowering shrubs into tight little mounds... allow them to become little trees. And as the flowers fall, let them coat their surroundings. Take time to appreciate all aspects of a plant's lifecycle, especially these last gasps of color!