I just went outside (chilly this a.m. - brrrr!!!) and looked at the two camellias dad bought yesterday & took some pictures. The one in this pic is called "Rose Dawn" (rose form to formal double rose flowers). The picture doesn't do it justice ... what a beauty! I think the deep pink shade is the most gorgeous pink I've ever seen .... no one does 'color' like Mother Nature.
The second camellia plant has no blooms, but is called "April Tryst". I looked it up and the bloom is described as 'red, anemone form'. They are a new "April Series" noted for excellent winter hardiness. This one blooms in April (but I don't see any buds on the plant he bought).
One of my other very favorite plants is lilac. Dad bought a couple of very small Daymon Lyman Lilacs that we will be planting this weekend ... description " considered by many to be the finest lilac, this gem features upright panicles of lightly fragrant pinkish-purple flowers in late spring; multi-stemmed and upright, forms a large ball; a superb specimen plant". We have an abundance of full-sun areas that should be great for these lilac bushes ... looks like we'll be watering a lot of new plants during the dog days of summer. :-)