It must have been the sunny afternoon that sent me on a pruning binge. I decided the camellia needed to be trimmed and the bottom severely cut back. Nothing like a dose of plant management education on the internet to get something going in the garden.
After pruning the camellia, there were so many flowers that might go to waste, that I found a couple of vases to display the cuttings. They may not last a long time, but they will look real nice for a couple of days.
susansflowers 
March 20, 2015 at 11:40 am
Once you put them in the vase, do you keep cutting the stem every day ? To prolong the life ?
March 20, 2015 at 7:41 pm
… and smash the woody stem? The blooms are so lovely, how could one toss them? Enjoy them up close!
March 22, 2015 at 3:17 am
These blooms were at their prime when the branches were cut, so it was going to be downhill from there.
Now it is but a couple of days later, and the blossoms are dropping from the cut branches onto my table.
I think it is best for all display flowers to be cut as the blooms are opening, then they have a chance to last longer indoors.
March 26, 2015 at 5:23 pm
Wow! They are so beautiful. I’ve never seen a camellia before. Thank you for sharing!
March 26, 2015 at 5:38 pm
I believe the plant originated in China. I have seen them in Southern US, but there are many here in the NW of US. I’m not sure how extreme climate they can take. Most are trained into a small tree or large shrub. Evergreen plant, easy care, many flowers in early spring.
March 26, 2015 at 5:40 pm
Thank you so much for the information. My middle name is Camelia so I had people telling me before that I am a flower, but I had no idea they are this beautiful 🙂
March 27, 2015 at 1:05 am
They look very pretty in a vase. At first I thought they were roses. I am an idiot in flower knowledge!
March 28, 2015 at 2:23 am
You are no idiot! Camellias and roses have a strong resemblance to each other. I live fare enough north that camellias bloom in spring and roses can bloom all summer long.