I am not a runner. However, for the right swag, I’ll lace up my shoes.

My neighboring town of Newberg, Oregon holds a Camellia Festival 5K each Spring. Every participant gets a one-gallon camellia plant. I was so excited when I found out that I signed up myself, my husband, and my son. Three potted camellias!

The camellia watercolor on the “Grateful for Camellias” card was inspired by a grand and very old tree on my walking route. It sits in a busy area that has seen a lot of change. I’m so grateful that the camellia tree has remained untouched. It stands tall as a witness and giver of a stunning bloom bonanza.

Will my little 5K babies ever be so magnificent?

Camellias have a long tradition in China and Japan where the oils are pressed from the seeds to make beauty products, and the leaves are used for tea. The blooms are unlike the snowflake-like confetti we see from the celebrated cherry trees. Camellia flower petals are layered and held by a cupped stem, so that even after death, they fall away together. They are an ancient and romantic symbol of perfect love. 

To celebrate camellias and their roots in Asian culture, I chose the Year of the Tiger / Lunar New Year postage for this card (while supplies last). The stamp’s original art was coincidently created by Camille Chew!

The “Grateful for Camellias” gratitude card was the Gratitude Club card-of-the-month for March 2022. It was also the prize in our monthly free card drawing for email subscribers. If you’re not on the list, you can fix that here! You can also now find the camellia gratitude card for individual purchase in the card shop.