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Southern Blossoms

© Vickie Ferguson

When I think of magnolias and camellias, I envision majestic trees full of magnificent flowers. Magnolias, with their large ivory petals curved so gracefully and camellias petit and delicate in an array of colors, will always be for me the embodiment of southern charm.

I've lived in the south all my life and as a little girl remember seeing houses with these beautiful flowers, but I never knew the names. When I was older and lived in Georgia, low and behold, here were my two favorite flowers from childhood gracing my yard! Over the years I had magnolias, camellias, dogwoods, daffodils, hydrangeas and azaleas blooming in profusion. Now in Florida, I still have the pleasure of the magnolias, azaleas and hibiscus and every once in a while, daffodils. I haven't had any luck growing dogwoods or camellias, but I haven't given up yet!

For those of you who are familiar with these flowers and for those new to southern flora, I am listing several sites you might find interesting. Each site has exquisite examples of swags, wreaths or arrangements and you may also order dried and silk varieties for your creations.

One of my favorite shops in Florida is the Silk Greenhouse where you can find an enormous selection of silks including magnolia swags and dogwood florals.

Another site that carries absolutely gorgeous silks is Silk Flowers Express. Visit their site for examples of mini magnolias and camellias and magnolia sprays. They also have a nice example of a lovely magnolia wreath.

If you're not familiar with camellias or some of the other flowers I've mentioned, please take a moment and virtually stroll through Exbury Gardens . Located in the U.K., you can feast your eyes on some of the most spectacular varieties of azaleas, daffodils, hydrangeas, magnolias, camellias and rhododendrons to be found at these well-maintained and sculpted gardens.

Not forgetting my other favorites, a visit to Cottage World Inc. shows arrangements utilizing the daffodils, dogwood and azaleas. You might also like to visit Floralistics for some very nice arrangement ideas and Creating Elegance for more magnolias.

I hope you enjoyed my mini tour, especially our trek through the garden, featuring some of my favorite southern blossoms. I also hope that the sites have helped to show the different types of flowers and the many ways these budding beauties can be used to create colorful and elegant designs.

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