Camellias are wonderful plants giving amazing splashes of colour on bleak February days. This year, in my garden at least, the Camellias are very late in flowering due to the exceptionally cold winter and early Spring.
Despite the late flowers the glossy dark green foliage, which remains throughout the year, has been a welcome sight.
The camellia in the picture has been growing in a container in my North facing garden for about eight years and always rewards me with lots of these deep pink flowers during late Winter and early Spring which I’m really looking forward to. The variety is Camellia x Williamsii Debbie which you can buy from Gardening Express for just £12.95 for a 3.5l plant.
Camellias are well suited for pots and containers, but they need acid compost, a reasonably large pot and regular watering to thrive. Once the flowers have faded they drop off the plant meaning no dead-heading, making this shrub a practically maintenance free plant.