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Waterwise Gardening - a book review

Waterwise Gardening: Everything You Need To Know About Efficient Watering to Grow a Healthy Yard by Richard Restuccia Published by Rizzoli, 2025 I would guess that watering is the major issue that most gardeners grapple with, especially novice gardeners. I know from working at the nursery that the majority of questions and issues we get stem from either watering too much or not watering enough.  Many people in our area have sprinkler systems and I'm sure that can be a good thing if used properly but I feel that they primarily keep the lawns green but fall short for landscape plants. Especially when it comes to trees and larger plants, the timing and amounts are not satisfactory for many plants. I often hear people say that their sprinklers are set to come on every day - yikes! And there are those who did not water because it "rained" when it actually drizzled.  The best thing to do in this situation is to have a xeric garden but that would mean sacrificing favorite plant...
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Camellia "Snow Flurry"




I can usually find something exciting in every gardening season. As winter approaches, the anticipation for camellias builds. Sasanqua camellias bloom in the fall and the showier japonica types will begin blooming in January and continue through early spring.


One of the earliest to bloom is the hybrid "Snow Flurry". It has been blooming now for weeks in our garden. The exquisite camellia is often regarded as a deep south plant but hybridizers continue to work on pushing the envelope. As a result, more cold hardier varieties have been introduced so gardeners farther north can enjoy these beauties as well. "Snow Flurry" is hardy to zone 6.


"Snow Flurry" was released in 1986 by the National Arboretum and it is advertised as one of the most cold hardy camellias available. This is one of the few camellias that I planted on the north side of the house and knock wood, it is thriving nicely.


The pure white anenome type blossoms are rather delicate and shatter easily. This makes them tricky to work with for flower arrangements. It gets an A+ in the landscape, however, and the beautiful flowers are a most welcome treat this time of year.




Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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  1. UnknownNovember 22, 2010 at 1:42 PM

    I've tried and failed with this one three times! Adding insult to injury is the fact that one of my gardening friends has one that's at least 12 feet tall!

    I'm happy to enjoy it vicariously in your garden!

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  2. EveNovember 22, 2010 at 1:51 PM

    Hi Phillip, I just found you through a search for Alabama gardens on botanical.com. Boy do I need to keep up with your blog! I moved to Alabama from northern NY in April of 09 and have a LOT to learn! And this looks like the place for me to get an education! What a great spot and I look forward to going back in time. Thanks!

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  3. Lisa at GreenbowNovember 22, 2010 at 4:56 PM

    I will never forget the first time I saw some camellias. It was winter and I had gone south for some reason. We stopped at a rest area and there were camillias blooming. I wondered what kind of roses they were. Ha... Love seeing yours.

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  4. compost in my shoeNovember 23, 2010 at 5:01 AM

    They certainly fill a gap in the garden this time of year. I love the way they just up and surprise you one day when walking through the garden. I kind of forget they are there. But not now!!

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  5. DaveNovember 23, 2010 at 6:49 AM

    Nice! I just added two 'Winter Snowman' camellias this year. I can't wait to see the blooms!

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  6. sweetbayNovember 23, 2010 at 10:33 AM

    That is a beautiful camellia, and perfectly named!

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  7. Jean CampbellNovember 23, 2010 at 1:49 PM

    Your photos are delightful.
    C. sasanqua marks the beginning of the winter garden. I have the older white, here for 50 years and now a tree form. It has a delightful tea fragrance as well as that daily carpet of petals underneath.

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  8. SkeeterNovember 23, 2010 at 3:49 PM

    I trimmed our Camelia bushes way back late in the summer and was not expecting many blooms. Whoa, I am surprised to have plenty white blooms! And so far no cold to turn them brown! So beautiful...

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  9. AnonymousNovember 23, 2010 at 8:19 PM

    I think these sasanqua camellias are as beautiful as shrub roses yet more precious because of the time of year they bloom. Nothing lifts my spirits more in these days of limited light.

    Is this an Ackerman Hybrid?

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  10. JanNovember 25, 2010 at 9:49 AM

    Lovely. I have a special affinity for white flowers, and this one is great for the late fall.

    Jan
    Always Growing

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  11. LesNovember 26, 2010 at 7:03 AM

    I could not imagine a garden without a sasanqua or two.

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  12. VictorDecember 1, 2010 at 5:52 AM

    It is always so hard to choose from all the great camellias out there but this type of bloom (not to mention the timing) adds it to the near-top of my list. thanks so much for the rec!

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