When camellias first arrived in Europe from the Far East about 200 years ago, they were considered to be tender plants and immensely exotic.

So exotic, they were considered too precious to be grown outdoors in gardens, and the first plants were grown in conservatories and specially-built camellia houses.

Camellias are still grown in greenhouses where the flowers are the picture of perfection.

But, in general, camellias have long ago found their way into the garden outdoors.

Adventurous gardeners, having taken cuttings, no doubt tried some young plants outdoors and found they did not succumb to frost as easily as thought.

International appeal

Camellias had been admired and cultivated for gardens in China and Japan for centuries.

The first plants to arrive in Europe were selections from the wild species which has flowers with a single row of six to eight broad rounded petals.

The selections often had double rows of petals or even fully double flowers where some or all of the pollen-carrying stamens have altered to become like petals.

Further selection has continued around the world since the first varieties arrived and now there are a couple of thousand named varieties, a figure being added to constantly.

A number of flower patterns have been defined: single, semi-double, anemone-form, peony-form, rose-form and formal double.

Each of these has its own charm and which to choose is a matter of personal preference.

The Japanese camellias are capable of making a fair-sized small tree to five or six metres tall and wide, although it takes 20 years or more to reach that size.

Of the thousands of varieties, not that many are available and not all are good performers.

One of the best and most common is ‘Adolphe Audusson’, which has large, semi-double red flowers, often with a fleck of white.

Varieties

It is very reliable for flowering, lasting from February to May. ‘Captain Rawes’ has very large red flowers, peony form, on a spreading shrub.

‘Bob’s Tinsie’ forms an upright bush with dark-red flowers, peony-form, with a boss of quilled petals. ‘Blace Lace’ is a lovely dark red, formal double.

‘Brushfield’s Yellow’ is anemone-form with white outer petals and a boss of yellow petaloids. ‘Lavinia Maggi’ also has white flowers, rose-form, the petals splashed with red, like a ripple ice-cream.

Many Japonicas are not reliable in flowering, the summers here being too cold and sunless.

These perform well in Italy and other warm countries but often turn yellow here and fail to flower. They also tend to suffer more frost damage to the open flowers and even the buds before they open, the latter being shed.

Early flowering

In recent decades, a group known as the Williams hybrids has become very popular for its early flowering as young plants – its dramatic, generous show of flowers, and its ability to shed the spent flower.

By contrast, many of the Japonica types hold the withered brown flowers.

The Williams group are hybrids of Camellia japonica and Camellia saluenensis, the latter being a small-leaved, hardy, free-flowering species.

Some of the most popular varieties include: ‘Donation’, pink, semi-double; ‘Inspiration’, peony-form, light pink; ‘St Ewe’, single, red-pink; and ‘Anticipation’ and ‘Debbie’, rich-pink, peony-form.

There is no true red but ‘Freedom Bell’ is often recruited for this purpose, having similar breeding and flowering habits.

Acid soil

Camellias need acid soil to prevent yellowing due to iron deficiency, but they can be catered for on limy soil by piling up well-rotted leafmould on the soil surface to about 15cm and planting into that, adding further layers of leaf mould or simply fallen leaves annually.

This eventually acidifies the soil as well as holding moisture in the soil in summer and feeding the plants.

Camellias can be grown in pots, too, in limy areas and in frosty areas inland – or just to get those sumptuous flowers under glass and enjoy them after the fashion of the first European admirers!

Deer damage

The photograph below shows the branch of an apple tree that has been browsed by deer.

Browsing is the term used when deer and livestock eat the leaves and stems of woody plants, trees and shrubs, while grass is grazed.

The photograph shows a branch of an apple tree that has been browsed by deer.

Deer can strip apple trees of leaves, twigs and branches to about 5mm, while they gnaw the bark of bigger branches, as shown.

Though damaged, this branch was not ringed and so the bark will heal. However, the browsers return regularly and nibble any new leaves and shoots that have appeared.

Eventually, there is little or no growth of apple trees below the comfortable browsing point for deer at about 1.2 to 1.5 metres.

This reduces the productive capacity of the trees and makes pruning take place at a higher and more difficult level.

Deer can jump walls and fences and setting up two-metre high fences to keep them out is not feasible but making entry to the garden as awkward as possible might help to encourage them to feed elsewhere.

Job's to do this week

Flowers

Seeds of bedding flowers can be sown over the next 10 days or so. Hardy annuals are easy to raise in cell trays. Lifting and dividing of herbaceous flowers can continue but should be completed soon as many kinds are beginning to make new growth. Ornamental grasses can be split and moved, best now as they begin growth.

Lawns

Grass growth has been poor in recent weeks but as soon as the ground is firm to walk on, mowing should be carried out. Apply lawn mosskiller if there is heavy moss growth. It is too early to use weed control products as the soil is not warm enough for active growth of weeds and these products will not work if growth is poor.

Trees, shrubs and roses

The planting season for bare-rooted trees and shrubs has a few weeks to go but do not delay. Evergreens, both broad-leaved and coniferous, can be planted as the sap rises over the coming month or so. Bush roses and repeat-flowering climbers should be pruned right away, if not already done. Plant rose bushes.

Fruit, vegetables and herbs

There is almost always an opportunity to sow vegetable seeds in the coming few weeks but often the opportunity passes quickly, so be ready. Plant garlic and shallot sets early. Garlic needs a touch of cold while it is in the ground. Finish off planting new fruit trees. Prune apple and pear trees and blackcurrant bushes.

Greenhouse and house plants

Boost active new growth now by feeding and watering heavily. Sow seeds of tomatoes right away for greenhouse growing, also sweet peppers and chilli peppers. A sowing before mid-March will usually produce its first ripe tomato in mid-July. These are easy to grow and fill the greenhouse during the summer months.

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