Bryan and Corinne gifted me with a camellia for my birthday this year, and yesterday Corinne and two granddaughters took me to buy it at a local nursery not far from me: Hidden Ponds Nursery in Awendaw.
We found a beautiful red camellia, and another one (pink) jumped into my cart, along with a pink canna lily.
There ARE hidden ponds on this property. And I so enjoyed seeing the koi begging for food.
There is also a large collection of other animals–a beautiful black duck roaming free, hens in a very cute coop, rabbits, goats, a BIG rooster in a separate pen, and…DONKEYS.
At the donkey pen, a very kind woman had come to visit with the two donkeys (a mother about 8 years old and her daughter)–which is something this very kind person said she does frequently–and she passed us carrots, apple slices, and peppermint treats made for horses–all of which the donkeys happily took from our hands.
This woman also had a beautiful dog–half Springer Spaniel and half poodle–who was enjoying chasing a ball people threw for him. But, sadly, I didn’t get a picture.
Anyway, in a few minutes I’m putting on old clothes and going out to plant the canna lily. Bryan will come sometime in coming days to help me with the camellias as they are large for me to plant.
Hmmm…
Maybe I will move an azalea that is not thriving to where the rest of those azaleas were moved–and I will put the pink camellia in that spot. It gets morning sun and afternoon shade. Perfect!
Louisa Enright's Blog 
Sounds like the perfect spot for the camellia! And such a nice nursery – love that they have the animals there. I’ve always wanted a koi pond but they seem to be so much work! We visit a nice nursery nearby that specializes in pond plants and installations. They have the neatest koi! So big! I’m sure they have names, haha. Jan in MA
I had a fish pond 20+ years ago in Virginia. My husband said he came home from work one day and there was a hole in the ground–dug for me by my two sons–and that we had been throwing money into it ever since. It’s true! The pond provided a lot of pleasure over the years though–a pair of ducks brought their babies to it one spring–before they walked them to the creek about 1/2 a mile away. A green heron was drawn to it one day! I’m sure other animals also visited at night–like the urban foxes and raccoons and opossums.