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| 'Donation' |
The camellias are very nice this year, probably due to the mild temperatures and lighter rainfall. I adore camellias and have eight varieties in the garden. Of course, the flowers are lovely but I like the foliage just as much.
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| 'Donation' |
'Donation' is one of the most popular camellias. It is a hybrid and has been around since 1941. It is very dependable, with blooms appearing continually for a long period (about a month). I've seen very large specimens of 'Donation' in photos, but for me, it has been a slow grower, not yet surpassing 4 feet tall.
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| 'Nuccio's Bella Rossa' |
The award for most blooms on a plant, however, goes to 'Nuccio's Bella Rossa'. This red-flowered camellia is dense with flowers. It has bloomed reliably over the years but sometimes the weather can interfere. This happened last year but this year, it is making up for lost time. This camellia has a very neat, compact habit. The leaves are glossy green and densely packed. It is currently about 6 feet tall and 3 feet wide, and 10 years old.
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| Magnoliaflora (?) |
'Magnoliaflora' was the name on the label of this beautiful pink camellia. Photos show it as a much lighter color than this one, a very pale pink. So the jury is out as to if this is indeed that variety. I moved it to a new location last fall and it made the transition well. It has been blooming for weeks now, but just a handful of blooms. This camellia comes from Japan, where it is known as 'Hagoromo', a word that means 'feathered robe", referring to a magical cloak worn by celestial beings in Japanese folklore.
Our oldest camellia is 'Mathotiana'. It is also one of the oldest camellias, originating from Belgium in 1847. It was a gift from our realtor. It has an odd color (wine?) and is very difficult to photograph properly. It is not a profuse bloomer.
Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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