Camellia shows spring has sprung for Peter Dowdall

'Seeing the first plant bloom in my garden in 2023 made me realise how much I have been longing for spring to start'

Camellia 'Brushfield Yellow' is the first plant to bloom in Peter Dowdall's garden in 2023. Pictures: iStock

Sound the trumpets, my camellia is in bloom. I don’t normally get so excited to see a camellia in flower but this year spotting Camellia ‘Brushfield Yellow’ open up has thrilled me.

You see, this is the first plant in my garden to bloom in 2023 and it is only when I saw it yesterday that I realised how much I have been longing for spring to start this year.