Today’s photos are from Eric Shealy, a horticulturalist who works at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in Columbia, South Carolina.

Gardening in South Carolina means beautiful flowers can arrive any day of the year, like this lovely Camellia ‘Nuccio’s Cameo’ (Zone 7–10) which he photographed on January 1. What a way to ring in a new year!

The beautiful Gladiolus ‘Halloweenie’—named for its habit of blooming very late in the year. This is a form of the species Gladiolus dalenii, native to Africa, and is one of the main parent plants of modern hybrid gladiolus. It is hardier than most modern gladiolus (Zones 7–10) and has a more wild, informal look to the bloom spike.

Clouds of cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus, annual) at the entrance to the children’s garden at the zoo where Eric works

These morning glories (Ipomoea tricolor, annual) are living up to their name. Who cares that the blooms will fade by the afternoon when they are so beautiful in the morning?

It’s the peak of summer flowering in Eric’s home garden. Rudbeckia maxima (Zones 4–9) is the tall yellow flower in the back, and in the foreground are the huge pink blooms of Crinum ‘Ellen Bosanquet’ (Zones 8–10).

A happy view for any gardener: a cart full of plants (in this case, a variety of different selections of the genus Salvia) ready to get planted.

Eric propagated this particularly precious camellia plant from a favorite shrub at his grandmother’s house. He took cuttings before the house was sold, and now it and three others have rooted and are growing and blooming. He’s not sure of the variety name, so if anyone knows, please pass it on!

Salvia leucantha (Zones 7–10) blooms late in the season, sending off the gardening year with a bang and providing lots of nectar for the last migrating hummingbirds.

If you want to see more from Eric, check out his instagram: @greeneryisforme

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