The first time I tried growing camellias in clay soil, I nearly gave up on the whole endeavor. My beloved ‘Professor Charles S. Sargent’ — a rich crimson double japonica I’d been coveting for years — sat sulking in a waterlogged bed for two full seasons before I finally admitted the problem wasn’t the plant. … Read more
Every spring, I walk my garden and do what I call my “mulch audit.” Last April, I crouched down beside my ‘Nuccio’s Jewel’ japonica and scooped up a handful of the material around its base. It smelled earthy, felt loose and crumbly, and the soil underneath was a deep, rich chocolate brown. That bed gets … Read more
Last spring, I watched my prized ‘Nuccio’s Gem’ japonica sulk through an entire bloom season. The flowers were sparse, the leaves pale yellow-green, and no amount of fertilizer seemed to help. After years of growing camellias, I should have tested the soil first. When I finally did, the pH read 7.2 — far too alkaline … Read more
Years ago, I nearly lost a prized ‘Donation’ camellia — a stunning Williamsii hybrid I’d waited three years to bloom — because the soil pH was completely wrong. The leaves turned yellow. Growth stalled. She sulked in that border for two whole seasons before I figured out what was happening. That experience taught me everything … Read more
Last spring, I stood in my backyard staring at a row of struggling camellias and felt genuinely baffled. I’ve been growing camellias for over twenty years. My yard in Zone 8b is practically a camellia museum. Yet three of my…
Last spring, I hit a wall I hadn’t expected after two decades of growing camellias. My raised beds — which I’d built specifically for acid-loving plants — started showing signs of pH drift. Leaves on my Kanjiro’ Sasanqua turned a…
