Camellias from Trehane Nursery
For a fabulous spring stalwart consider growing an acid-loving camellia. Trehane Nursery featured a breathtaking display of these evergreen shrubs at this year’s RHS Show Cardiff. Jeremy Trehane is captivated by the range and variety of flowers and the spectacle they make in the garden. “Whether they are the spring flowering ones or the scented autumn/winter Camellia sasanqua, they provide a real show of spectacular colour at a time of year when very little else is showing colour and that’s very welcome. Camellias are also evergreen so they provide an excellent background for summer colour even then they are not flowering themselves,” says Jeremy.
He continues, “You can grow them as a single variety or mixed variety hedge because they make great hedging or screening plants. All camellias need an acidic soil; the ideal pH is between 5.5 and 6.5. Many people tell me that they feed their camellias with Sequestrene, but this is purely a supplement to aid leaf colour in marginal conditions and not a feed.”
If you have the right soil, camellias are better planted in the garden because once established, after about a year, they pretty much look after themselves. They do need watering in very dry weather and may also need feeding with an all round ericaceous plant food. If you haven’t got the right soil then you can either make an acid bed, but you need a good depth of 60-75cm (2 - 2 1/2 ft), or grow them in pots using a good John Innes based ericaceous compost.
It’s important to remember that they form their flower buds from May to August so they need plenty of light and water during that period. Do not allow them to dry out in summer, keep them well watered. Camellias need good drainage especially if grown in pots. Most problems occur with plants in spring when plants can dry out during dry spells or may become waterlogged if the drainage is not ideal. Flower buds can shrivel and drop off if the soil is too dry and also if it is too wet.
“If you get the soil conditions right, camellias are as easy to grow as anything else. There is a huge range of forms and shapes of camellia plants and flowers. There truly is something for everyone. Never be afraid to prune a camellia to the shape and size you want or need. Prune them straight after flowering and by mid-May to avoid reducing next season’s flowers,” says Jeremy.
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