Get some Early Spring Colour with Camellias, highly valued for their stunning floral displays and fresh, glossy, evergreen foliage. Gary propagates all our Camellias by hand from cuttings each year and it takes about 3-5 years to get to the wonderful bushy forms you can find in our garden centre. With 31 varieties available in shades of pink, red, white and cream, you’ll be spoilt for choice.
Camellias ultimate size, habit and rate of growth vary immensely, so consider how much space the camellia will need as it grows. Whether you’d like something that stays small and compact or will grow into a bold shrub or even a flowering hedge or screen, the choice is yours.
Camellia flowers vary in size and shape too, and their forms can be divided into six descriptive groups depending on the number of petals and their pattern or arrangement within the flower. These forms are described as Single, Semi-double, Anemone-form, Peony-form, Rose-form double or Formal double, so take your pick from the ones that most appeal.
Like azaleas and rhododendrons, camellias are ericaceous plants, and this means they need to grow in an acid or lime-free soil to ensure they stay healthy. A simple soil test kit available from garden centres can be used to check your soils acidity/alkalinity (often called its pH), and composts and fertilisers can be added to help make soil more acid.
Alternatively, compact varieties of camellia grow well in large pots or half-barrels filled with ericaceous compost, available in garden centres.
Grown in the right soil and position camellias usually flower reliably with little care and attention, growing larger over time to develop into impressive flowering shrubs. Most camellias rarely need pruning, but if they outgrow their position individual shoots can be shortened, and plants can even regrow well if cut back hard into old wood.
Where space is available develop a seasonal bed including a camellia or two and other evergreens and early flowering plants to provide welcome colour through late winter and into early spring.
Literally hundreds of camellia varieties are available from nurseries across the country with numerous colours, forms and sizes. Most have glossy green foliage, but some variegated varieties are also available. The very best camellias are given an Award of Garden Merit (AGM) by the Royal Horticultural Society to indicate their superb garden performance, and here are some of the most popular.
Semi-double rose-pink flowers. Upright habit. Strong growing.
Bright red flowers. Strong growing.
Peony-form pink flower. Upright. Strong growing.
Anemone-form white flowers, pale yellow centre. Compact. Upright.
Two others worth noting (sorry couldn’t restrict myself to just four) are:
Did you know that some camellias flower through autumn and into winter? Look out for Camellia sasanqua Fukuzutsumi.
Camellias look great with all plants. In my garden they are used to give structural height and colour to borders. Where they look particularly amazing I’ve planted them nearer contrasting lighter coloured hardy shrubs like Euonymus and pittosporum, I’ve also got a few underplanted with cyclamen where both flowers compliment each other in colour. Without a doubt, my garden would look a lot duller at this time of year if it did not have Camellias.
For further advice ask one of our plant team when you next visit our Exeter based garden centre.
Tam Falloon – Director
Clyst St. Mary
Sidmouth Road, Clyst St. Mary,
Exeter, Devon, EX5 1AE.
Telephone: 01392 876281
Email: gardening@stbridgetnurseries.co.uk
OPENING HOURS
Monday to Saturday 9.00am to 5.00pm*
Sundays 10.00am to 4.00pm*
Bank Holidays 9.00am to 5.00pm Closed (25/26 Dec)
*Cafe open until 4.30pm each day and until 3.30pm on Sundays.
