Past Photo Op

Originally uploaded by will.duquette.

One of Descanso Garden’s two claims to fame is its Camellia Forest. Camellias aren’t native to California, but live oaks are; and camellias grow well in the shade, in acid soil. Many years ago, a man named Manchester Boddy realized that live oaks are really good at producing both, and that an oak forest is the perfect place for growing camellias.

The camellias are blooming right now, and in my in rounds I frequently see little mounds of camellia blooms in odd places. At first I was a loss to account for them; the ground under the camellia plants are frequently carpeted with fallen blooms, but not in little mounds; and anyway the mounds are never under the camellia plants.

Judging that garden gnomes are unlikely culprits, I have since concluded that these shabby little mounds are the work of other photographers. That remains conjecture, however, as I’ve never caught one at it.