Camellias: Blooming Jewels of the Shade Garden

November 25, 2013 | By webadmin

Do you have a shady area of your landscape screaming for color? Camellias bloom big in shades of white, pink and red, and require only morning sun. Best part? They bloom fall through spring when many plants in your garden is dormant. For the rest of the year, enjoy their deep green, glossy, evergreen foliage as foundation shrubs throughout your landscape.

There are two species of Camellias that do best in Texas gardens: Camellia japonica, which are native to Korea, China, and Japan, and Camellia sasanqua, from Japan. They come in sizes from 4’ up to 15’ tall, depending on the variety. Some favorites include:

'Shishi Gashira' Profuse, semi-double rose colored blooms. Grows to 4’-6’.

‘Yuletide’ Intense red single blooms with bright yellow stamen. 6’-8’.

'Kramer's Supreme' Dark red, peony-like blooms. Grows to 10’-15’.

‘Ave Maria’ Pale pink, rose-like blooms. Grows to 10’-15’.

‘Scentsation’ Slightly fragrant, pink blooms. Grows 10’-15’.

Make your new Camellia a centerpiece in your landscape. We love to underplant them with other shade lovers such as heuchera, hellebore, and acanthus. A few weeks ago, we wrote about our favorite shade-loving perennials here.

Caring for your wonderful camellia is simple.

• Plant in a mostly shaded area, feed in spring and fall, water regularly.
• Camellias prefer slightly acidic soil. We amend soil with compost prior to planting and feed with fertilizers formulated for aci-loving plants. Mulch heavily to keep roots warm in winter and cool in summer, plus to retain moisture.

We can help you choose the right Camellia for your space and give you the support you need to keep it beautiful. Give us a call for a garden refresh this winter. Now is a surprisingly great time to do so! Come spring, you’ll be ready to relax.