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Camellias, the Heralds of Spring

© Gay Klok

The Budding of Spring Time in the Garden

I am still pruning the hydrangeas but Kees has finished the roses, thank goodness. Last weekend these chores were more pleasant after the many past weekends of cold wind and rain. I hate to admit that the years are passing very rapidly for this elderly gardener and I have to confess that I no longer face the worse elements with pleasure, as I did in my middle age years. So it is pleasant to hear the birds again, flying through the branches of our now mature trees, calling to mates that Spring and the new leaves will soon be here. It is exciting to see the Camellias's and Rhododendron's buds swelling with promise of the colourful days ahead. I notice a little frill of red, white or pink in many of the Camellia buds and a few heads fully expanded. There are three forms of Camelllias most commonly grown in Australia, C Sasanqua, C japonica and C reticulata. Many species come from India, China and Japan and in the early days of the 19thC gardeners in England and America thought that the Camellia would only flourish in the conservatory or greenhouse.

But, in the latter part of the 19thC, one adventurous Englishman decided to leave his bushes outside during the Winter months, perhaps protecting them with pine branches or newspaper on the coldest nights, and his Camellias remained happy. After the word travelled through the gardening world, many American and Australian hybridists developed beautiful plants that withstood colder conditions and the Camellia became one of the glories in the gardens that possess peaty soil and semi-shade, and generally woodland conditions. For the gardeners who do not have acidic soil and have a desire to grow these charming plants, I suggest they may prosper in loamy soil if leaf-mould and peat are added to give them a start.

I have seen many wonderful Camellias growing in ornamental and terra cotta pots, the advantage being that it is easy for the gardener to shift the Camellia to warmer conditions during the more bitter Winter conditions and control the condition of the soil. When first planting or re-potting into a larger pot wait until the buds are set and care must be taken to see that the roots of the plant do not dry out. After the first planting, it is useful to syringe, daily, the leaves overhead and the reward is a dramatic and beautiful flowering plant blooming in winter time on your front porch or patio.

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