Camellia
During late February and early March garden centres are overflowing with specimens
of a glossy-leaved, evergreen shrub sporting large flowers ranging in colour from
vibrant red to elegant white and even yellow.
Camellias are a very popular plant and are
wonderful for providing a vivid splash of colour in the late winter garden and adding
a taste of the exotic.
In Victorian times camellias were grown as conservatory plants
but many modern varieties are fully hardy and do well in our gardens; Camellia sasanqua
and C. x williamsii being two of the most popular. If given a light, moisture-rententive
acidic soil (grit and organic matter should be added to heavy soil) in dappled shade
and sheltered from strong wind they will reward with an abundance of beautiful flowers.
These flowers come in six different forms: single, semi-double, anemone, peony,
rose and formal double. Although the mass of blossom is eye-catching, each individual
flower is a gem in its own right.
They make elegant plants for a border or woodland garden
but also excel as a specimen especially when planted so that the blooms are visible
from the house. In areas that lack acidic soil, they can be grown as container plants
in ericaceous compost although they must never dry out and do not react well to
the levels of calcium in tap water.
In fact whether in pots or in a border if the weather is dry in late summer, plants
should be watered well to avoid dropping their flower buds.
Although usually grown as medium-sized shrubs they can become small trees and in
Japan they are often pruned like topiary but flowering is then greatly reduced.
As they produce blooms on the previous season's growth they should be pruned to
the size required by cutting back only after blooms have faded.
Camellias are free from pests so if the right planting conditions
can be met, plants will reward with glossy evergreen foliage and gorgeous flowers
at what can be a dreary time of year.
© Sharon Brown
1st March 2008