winter bouquets

As mentioned in some previous posts (as seen here, here, here and here), Tahi and I like to gather flowers while walking around the neighborhood. We end up with beautiful bouquets, full of colors and superbly fresh. Obviously we're spoilt for choice in spring and summer. Winter not so much. But we still managed to pick a few blossoms. Mainly camellias. There's lots of camellias in Gisborne.

They must have been really trendy a few decades ago. Like "don't talk to the neighbors honey, they've got no camellias in the garden" kind of trendy. A bit like the rose mafia, in the days where a manicured garden was good practice. Nowadays it's all about lawns. There's rhododendron too, which I think I prefer, but not as widespread. Must have been second choice. Either or, both trees produce flowers whose colors range from white, pale pink through all the shade of pink up to bright deep pink. It's a pink fest.

I'm not a huge fan of pink, but camellias and rhododendron have made it acceptable in my view. Luckily not many gisbornites (people from Gisborne) walk, otherwise I would have been caught more than once marveling and talking to myself in front of a particularly beautiful specimen of camellia. And picking a few branches off (only the ones over the footpath side mind you). I know where the prettiest pink ones are, and I know which itinerary to pick depending on what shade of pink I feel like. The only bummer is that they don't last very long once cut. Any tricks anyone?