6 hours ago
Camellia Collection
Sophie visits a nursery that specialises in growing camellias, providing some ideas for garden colour in the cooler months.
There are more than 300 species of camellias worldwide, although the two most commonly grown and the Camellia japonica and Camellia sasanqua .
From these, many thousands of hybrids and cultivars have been bred.
Third generation grower Dan Hall points out the key features of the two types:
Japonica
Varieties tend to have larger, rounder flowers and bigger leaves, and prefer part shade or protection from afternoon sun; they generally flower in winter or early spring. They can also be larger plants, although there are smaller cultivars now available.
Sasanquas
Have smaller flowers and leaves and are fast growing, making them better suited to hedging. They tend to flower in autumn or early winter, and are more tolerant of sunlight and warmer conditions.
Both prefer slightly acidic soil, regular watering, and good drainage.
A favourite of Dan's is 'Roger Hall', a red formally shaped double that was named after his late grandfather.
Modern hybrids offer a range of attributes, from the long-flowering 'Sweet Jane', which can flower from autumn to spring, to hardy floribunda hybrids such as 'Illumination' that produces masses of flowers from a young age. There are even some ground-covering prostrate forms, including 'Marge Miller', which can grow up to 3m wide.
If you have a few different camellias in your garden or nearby, and seed heads form on your plants, you could try growing the seeds. It might take five or six years for the new seedlings to start flowering, but you could end up with a completely new variety! To propagate an exact copy of your plant, take cuttings.
Dan also explains how to create a weeping standard – by training a weeping form upright, supported by a stake, and removing any growth along the trunk, leaving just the branches at the top. Alternatively, graft a weeping form onto the straight stem of a sturdier species.
Camellias can also be espaliered against an east-facing wall; most sasanqua species would be suitable for this, Dan says.
Problems
Yellowing of leaves can often be a sign of pH problems – it should be about 5-6. If your soil is too alkaline, you can reduce the pH by adding iron chelates.
Hot morning sun on wet buds or flowers can also cause browning and other problems.
Dan says a common mistake is to put a small plant into a large pot – this leaves too much wet soil around the small rootball, which can cause root rot.
COMMON CAMELLIA Camellia japonica cv. SASANQUA CAMELLIA Camellia sasanqua cv. CAMELLIA 'DESIRE' Camellia japonica cv. CAMELLIA 'TINSIE' Camellia japonica cv. CAMELLIA 'GREAT EASTERN' Camellia japonica cv. CAMELLIA 'ROGER HALL' Camellia japonica cv. CAMELLIA 'SLIM N TRIM' Camellia sasanqua cv. CAMELLIA 'EARLY PEARLY' Camellia sasanqua cv. CAMELLIA 'YULETIDE' Camellia sasanqua cv. CAMELLIA 'AVALANCHE' Camellia sasanqua cv. CAMELLIA 'SWEET JANE' Camellia sasanqua cv. CAMELLIA 'E.G. WATERHOUSE' Camellia × williamsii cv. CAMELLIA 'CHANSONETTE' Camellia sasanqua cv. CAMELLIA 'MARGE MILLER' Camellia sasanqua cv. CAMELLIA 'SNOW' Camellia sasanqua cv.
