Every February, I walk through my Zone 8a garden with my morning coffee, and the camellias are usually putting on their best show. Last winter, though, I stopped dead in front of my ‘Debutante’ — a pale blush japonica I’ve grown for fifteen years. Her blooms had turned a muddy, sickly brown seemingly overnight. Not … Read more
Every February, my neighbor stops at the fence and asks the same question: “Helen, how on earth is that thing blooming in winter?” She’s pointing at my Camellia japonica ‘Nuccio’s Gem,’ its pristine white double blooms completely unbothered by frost. I love that question. It leads perfectly into the thing camellia enthusiasts get asked most … Read more
The first time I spotted a variegated camellia in full bloom, I actually stopped walking mid-path and just stared. It was a cold February morning in my Zone 8a garden, and there it was — ‘Desire,’ a Camellia japonica with petals so perfectly striped in deep rose and white that it looked almost painted. That … Read more
If you’ve ever stood in front of a camellia in full bloom and felt genuinely confused about what you were looking at, you’re not alone. Understanding camellia bloom forms was something I struggled with for the first few years of growing them seriously. I remember bringing home what I thought was a peony-form camellia from … Read more
Every October, I walk out to my back garden with a cup of coffee and stop dead in my tracks. The sasanquas are blooming. While my neighbors’ gardens are winding down, fading into rusty hydrangeas and spent daylilies, my garden is absolutely electric with color. That moment never gets old, even after twenty-plus years of … Read more
Last October, I walked out to my back border just as the morning fog was lifting, and stopped dead in my tracks. ‘Survivor,’ my big Sasanqua, had opened overnight into a blaze of soft shell-pink blooms that practically glowed in the grey light. In that moment, I remembered exactly why I became obsessed with pink … Read more
Some of my most treasured garden moments happen in February, when everything else looks dead and grey. I walk out into the cold morning air, coffee in hand, and there they are — white camellia varieties glowing like lanterns against the dark foliage. Nothing else in my garden does that. Nothing else even comes close. … Read more
People always assume camellias are purely visual plants. I used to think the same thing — until a spring morning about fifteen years ago, when I walked past my Camellia lutchuensis hybrid and stopped dead in my tracks. The scent hit me like a warm breeze carrying something between jasmine and honey. That moment completely … Read more
When gray skies dominate the landscape, the garden can often feel dull. However, a few remarkable plants defy the season, offering brilliant color against the winter backdrop. Camellias stand out as true champions of the cold months. These evergreen shrubs produce stunning flowers when most other plants are dormant. With a little planning, you can enjoy a … Read more
Camellias offer stunning blooms when many other plants are dormant. Their glossy, evergreen leaves provide year-round structure in the garden. However, the key to enjoying these flowers for months is choosing the right varieties. Different camellias bloom at different times, from autumn all the way through spring. Understanding these bloom periods helps you create a … Read more
