FLOWER POWER
A winter rose is perfect for adding a much needed dash of colour at this time of year
Hardy camellias add a welcome splash of colour to the garden at this time of year
Recently we celebrated roses. This week, it’s the turn of the winter rose, or the camellia, which was once considered so delicate, the Victorians built camellia houses to grow these exotic beauties.
In fact, they are hardy creatures and long lived – the oldest specimen today is reputed to date from 1347 and is still growing in a monastery in China!
If you want to know the best conditions to grow a camellia, look how they grow in the wild.
Hailing from the east – notably, China, Japan and Korea – they grow in groups in semi-woodland settings. Often situated on free-draining slopes in slightly acidic soil, they enjoy cool dry winters and plenty of rainfall in spring.
So ideally you need to give them some light dappled shade which will protect them from the scorching sun in summer.
It’s also key that they don’t dry out in spring and summer when they are forming buds for next year. Equally, they don’t like to sit in soggy soil over the winter.
Plenty of humus in the form of compost or well-rotted manure will help drainage while retaining moisture and nutrients. The old adage of spending a penny on the plant and a pound on the hole applies here – although with inflation you might need to adjust these figures.
They like to grow in slightly acidic soil with a ph of 5.5 to 6.5. Although they are more lime tolerant than rhododendrons and azaleas, if you grow them in alkaline soil they will struggle to obtain iron and you will soon see their leaves turn yellow.
For optimum results, feed in spring and summer with an acidic food but don’t overdo it – overfeeding is just as harmful as underfeeding. In borderline soils, a dollop of sequestered iron will improve matters.
If your soil isn’t acidic, then growing in pots is your best bet, using ericaceous compost. It is a good idea to re-pot every other year with completely fresh compost and move up a pot size if possible.
Remember, tap water can be quite alkaline in hard areas so rainwater is best. They can have a light clip after flowering if required to shape them, otherwise no pruning is necessary – but don’t clip from mid-summer onwards or you’ll lose next year’s flower buds.
The beautiful winter blossoms are susceptible to frost which causes browning of the petals.
It’s advisable to keep camellias away from the morning sun as in the winter a rapid thaw of frozen buds can be too stressful, so avoid east-facing positions.
Leaves can get covered with a black sooty material – this is a harmless mould growing on the secretions of aphids or scale insects. It can be simply washed off.
The best camellias to grow in British gardens are the williamsii varieties. These were first developed in 1930 by British breeder JC Williams in Cornwall and have contributed to the popularity of the camellia in the UK.
They are the hardiest varieties, blossom younger and produce lots of exquisite flowers over an extended period.
Unlike some camellias which hang on to faded blossoms and hence can look messy, these drop their blooms after flowering and form pretty carpets on the ground.
If I could only choose one, it would probably be ‘Donation’, considered by many to be the most beautiful, with semi-double orchid pink flowers and golden stamens – this variety reliably flowers from February through to May.
Other classic williamsii cultivars include ‘Debbie’ with rosy-pink peony-like flowers and Jury’s Yellow with anemone-like flowers in cream with a beautiful ruffled yellow centre.