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I only had seen Camellias in the old black and white movie when I was a kid. You know the one I mean with the dying Greta Garbo and the handsome Robert Taylor. It was her favorite flower.
So in 1987 I was surprised to see that Camellias came in colors, other than white, when I moved into a house that had several camellia bushes growing in the front yard and their colors ranged from light pink, dark pink to a variegated pink and white one.
Though the flowers are not fragrant I did love their large, shiny green leaves that added a backdrop to each blossom.
I wanted to make sure these lovely landscape bushes survived my living there so I did some research on them.
Apparently these bushes did real well even in the hot Florida sun because they were partially shaded during the day from the western exposure formed by the home.
Though I never planted any more Camellias on this property I had thought about it and learned the best time to plant them was in the late fall to early spring even though they can be planted any time of the year. I discovered also that they need to be fertilized each spring which I did with an organic fertilizer made of cottonseed meal.
I found that if I mulched around the base of the bushes and then applied my organic fertilizer on top of the mulch and then letting the rain naturally wash it down into the roots it was much better for the Camellias.
It is best to allow 8 to 10 feet of space between any Camellia bushes you plant.
Though this evergreen shrub is a regular staple in many southern gardens it will also make a beautiful container plant for northern gardeners as you can bring it inside during the winter.
If you want Camellias most of the year round then plant the Camellia japonicas which bloom from January through March and you can be guaranteed Camellia blooms from September through December when you plant Sasanqua Camellias.
There are eight different types of blooms to choose from such as anemone, tiered, single, rose, double formal, loose peony, semi-double and full peony.
If you are fortunate to live in zones 7 to 9 and are getting ready to do some landscape planting then consider adding some Camellias.
“Tread the Earth Lightly” and in the meantime… May your day be filled with…Peace, Light and Love,
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Author Bio Box: Arlene Wright Correll
 For more gardening or cooking information click http://www.learn-america.com/
To see Arlene’s Gardens and to read her gardening diaries and to take a walk through her pictorial garden or click on Arlene’s Books where you can download or buy her gardening & cook books, including her new book, “The ABC’s of Wine and Beer Making”. Many of her articles written for Greenthumbarticles have paintings she has created of the subject and they can be seen at her “How to Do It” site. Remember to check out her artwork, especially of her fruits and vegetables. Many of her paintings are sold internationally and many of her works of art have been reproduced on note cards, post cards and other functional items and you can get Giclee prints of her artwork starting as low as $11.89 Arlene says, “All my royalties from the sale of my books, art, etc. go to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and I thank you for visiting my sites.”
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