GARDEN NOTES: growing opulent camellias

Brighten up the garden – and indoor vases – with gorgeous camellias in the cooler months.

Camellias are possibly the most perfect flowers – opulent, blooming for months through the gloomiest time of year, hardy yet delicate looking. They lose out to roses in only two ways: lack of scent and a tendency to drop from the stem an hour after you put them in a vase.

But if you choose wisely, you can have them on the bush and in a vase with a soft, sensuous scent as well.

FRAGRANT PICKS

While there are camellias that tolerate full sun, these scented varieties need dappled shade, or even deep shade in warmer climates.

High Fragrance: Pale pink, double, frilly and divine. “Scentuous”: White petals with a pale pink centre, loosely ruffled, semi-double and long blooming. Koto No Kaori: Single blooms in deep pink. Spring Mist: Semidouble variety in ivory; pink tinge. Sweet Emily Kate: Lipstick pink, double massed blooms, excellent in pots.

CUTTING TIPS

Camellias can be as stunning indoors as they are on the bush – on the dining table, along the window sill, on the kitchen bench or for everyone to admire on your desk at work. Usually the smaller flowers last longer, as double ones are so heavy they fall from the stem. To keep camellias happy in the vase:

Cut blooms when the bud is just beginning to open.

Use a flower preservative in the water and a very clean vase.

Take off all but the top leaves, and cut the stem cleanly.

Use a tall, narrow vase, as camellia stems are rarely strong enough to support the flower in an upright position. Small jugs or tall, antique bottles are perfect to hold camellia blooms.