Spring loaded
Camellias are flowering as the world starts to wake from its winter slumbers, writes David Overend.
Debbie came to our house three years ago. She was a bit thin but given time and plenty of decent food, she could grow into a real eye-catcher. In year one, “Debbie” did little; she seemed to be sulking, perhaps not appreciating the Yorkshire dialect. In year two, there was still no perceptible change. In year three, she blossomed – literally.
“Debbie” is a camellia, purchased from that most wonderful of Welsh gardens, Bodnant, where spring is celebrated with an explosion of flowers – bulbs, shrubs and trees welcome the new season by producing their own world of colour.
“Debbie”, the camellia, is now a long way from her native home, but she has finally settled in Yorkshire, her roots surrounded by the peat of the Pennines. In a site sheltered from cold, dry winds and earlymorning sun, where her buds and flowers are protected from cold winds and late frosts, she has found a new home.
It’s now almost April and the world is awakening. Or at least some of the world is awakening; some bits have been wide awake for weeks. Which is why camellias like “Debbie” are flowering and doing their best to show us that spring really is here, and if it’s not, it’s just around the corner waiting to leap out and do what spring likes to do.
And spring likes to make the most of camellias, which come mainly from China. They are relatively easy to cultivate, but they thrive best where the summers are warm and the winters are cold. They also love moist but well-drained, slightly acidic soil, but waterlogging is a killer.
Camellias can be planted any time of the year (preferably from mid-October to November and from mid-March to mid-April, so the time is almost perfect) provided they are treated properly and mulched. They are shallow-rooted plants, so a large, deep planting hole should be provided.
Camellias do best in sheltered positions in light shade or where they get only morning sun. The plants will tolerate exposed sunny sites but the flowers won’t. Dense shade will promote lank growth and reduce flowering. Too sunny, and the flowers will burn and drop prematurely. A site that is exposed to strong winds is definitely not recommended.
Just be patient – camellias can take their own sweet time getting comfortable in their new surroundings.