July at The Camellia

 Hello July! July is one of our favourites...it's SUMMER finally! The rain has stopped and the fields are green and lush. Our gardens are blooming with a profusion of French Lilacs, Peonies of every colour, and Daylilies. 

Iris

Our Finnish Rhodos (a special minus 30 variety)

Johnny-jump-ups.

Hostas.

Don't you just love Summer planters? We are hoping the Calla Lilies will continue to bloom. 

We have just received a shipment of Coastal-themed Pottery from Mussels 'N More, hand made on Vancouver Island. These pieces are stunning and don't forget to turn them over and look at their other side, the details are incredibly life-like.

They are made with a porcelain clay, and fired at very high temperatures, this makes them very durable, and they can be used in the Oven, microwave and dishwasher. As always, never place a cold dish into a hot oven, allow the pottery to come to room temperature. 

For those of us who love Fish, this would make a beautiful Gift. 

If you love water, and live near Lake Superior, you can use this dinnerware at your next Gathering, serving seafood, or mussels, or any other delicacies. 

We've been busy doing a mini-makeover of a Laundry/Mudroom. This is an ugly oak veneer cupboard that's old and tired. 

Enter #CottagePaint Antique White. Clean, then 2 coats of paint, then the grain sack  stencil, and  finish with Satin wax. 

Vast improvement . 

This stencil is in stock at our store The Camellia on Hacquoil Rd. 

This shelf was formerly Hunter Green ( remember when anything and everything was Hunter Green? We painted it with #CottagePaint Black. Walls are painted with #CottagePaint #Serenity, colour Beechwood. The Farmhouse sign is a class you can take at our store, keep checking our website for upcoming classes at http://www.thecamellia.com/classes-at-the-camelia.html

And new Grey Indoor/outdoor carpet for the floor. 

In the meantime, Garden Peonies are blooming profusely.

Blooms are cut, awaiting tying into bundles, then they will be hung to dry. Lots of ants on the blooms. 

Plan a day trip to Gran Marais    .... stop in at one of the many inlets of Lake Superior, and enjoy Summer!

What would Summer be without a trip to Syndey's Frozen Custard in Gran Marais, MN..so good! Not to mention the incredible smells wafting from the wood fired Pizza place closeby.
Visit The Camellia, at 30, Hacquoil Rd. Open Wednesday 11-5, Thursday 12-5, Friday & Saturday 11-5, Sunday 12-5p. Happy July!!
p (807)475-3551

Summer Solstice Fair on at The Camellia

Today is Summer Solstice - a celebration of the beginning of Summer! 

Around this time in our Garden, a Danish white Rose blooms, filling the area behind our shop with that heady Rose scent which is missing in hothouse Roses. We have been so busy that I almost missed seeing all the blooms. 

From a couple of cuttings bought at a yard sale to a massive profusion of stems and blooms...this Rose spreads quickly. At the back of our shop is a wild tangled mess of grapevine, this Rose, and hops. 

Bees fly among the blossoms, collecting pollen.

A handful of blooms picked to float in water in a glass square, a simple, yet effective Summer centrepiece. 

Enjoy the Summer Solstice, make sure to get outside and enjoy the weather!
You are invited to our Summer Solstice Fair on at The Camellia this weekend, Fri. June 24th. 11- 8p. Sat. June 25th. 11-5, & Sunday June 26th. 12-5p.
Exciting new arrivals - comfy leggings & Summer scarves.
Hand-made Pottery.

Sunny Days , or lack thereof...

For those of us that live Up North, we wait for a very, very, very  long time for Summer. Now we are stuck in what seems like day after day of rain and more rain. We are trying to practice gratefulness for the rain.

Most of us just want to get our plants planted, our gardens weeded, our grass cut....  When we're feeling blah it's nice to look at photos from our holidays, to cheer us up and remind ourselves the rain will stop, and the sun will come out. Here are some flowering Rhodos. 

Who can't wait to sit by the Lake, and enjoy the clear water, and the sound of the water splish-splashing on the rocks?

The Joy of being able to sit outdoors and just relax, maybe read a book or 2. 

Camellia blooms....so pretty.

Spanish Lavender in full bloom. 

The Joy of a Garden ... here is to blue skies and Sunshine!

Visit The Camellia, at 30, Hacquoil Rd. Open Wed. 11-5, Thurs. 12-5. Fri. & Sat. 11-5. Sunday 12-5.

p(807)475 3551

www.thecamellia.com

Shopping for plants in Antigua, West Indies

Today we are heading to a Plant Nursery in Antigua, to get some more plants for a friend's garden. Here is a lovely Hibiscus plant, they are available in many colours, the most common variety being red. We used to have  a 6ft. Hibiscus hedge around our yard in Guyana, South Amercia.

Most tropical flowering plants are brightly coloured, as is everything in the Tropics. 

This large tree is quite stunning, never mind all of the plants around it.

Maidenhair ferns, these are easy to grow in the Tropics. I must confess they are tough to grow in North America, 

In the Tropics, we grow Orchids in the air, like a hanging plant, Today we are here to buy Orchids to plant on my friend's dock, so I must stop gawking at everything, and help her choose from this wide variety. 

Visit The Camellia, for Caribbean inspired Tropical decor. 

30, Hacquoil Rd. Slate River, On

p-(807)475-3551