I get the email almost weekly. “Helen, can I grow camellias in Zone 6? I’ve always loved them, but I thought they were off-limits for me.” My answer is always the same: yes—but only if you choose wisely. Most camellias are born gardeners of warm climates. Yet after two decades collecting and growing over 200 … Read more
A few winters ago, I stood at my garden gate staring at what I was convinced was a dead camellia. We’d had a brutal cold snap — temperatures dropped to 0°F overnight — and my beautiful ‘Korean Fire’ had turned every leaf crispy brown. I nearly dug it out. Instead, I waited. By late April, … Read more
It was a gray November afternoon, and my neighbor leaned over the fence with that particular look — the one that says “I’m about to save you from yourself.” He pointed at the small shrub I was tucking into the…
