Spectacular Colour In Your Winter Garden... Glorious Camellias!

Camellias are a fantastic winter flowering shrub with deep green glossy foliage, which looks lush and green all year round, with flowers in tones of pink, red, white and cream. From ground cover to hedging or a stunning specimen small to large shrub, in semi-shaded positions Camellias are a fabulous addition to your garden.

The thousands of species and cultivars available world wide offer a wide range of colours, flower forms and sizes, and Kings choose the best of these to offer you our customers. Your choice is personal preference and factors to consider are growth habit and flowering periods.

Click here to see the Kings 2010 Growing Guide and Camellia List NOW!

When planting camellias, a selection of early, mid and late-season varieties will ensure you have flowers over a six to seven month period.

	Camellia japonica and hybrids of similar appearance... By far the best known, these varieties can grow from a small shrub to a tree of four to five meters. They are very hardy with dark green foliage. They flower over many months from early winter to late spring, even in heavy shade. Flower sizes vary from 5cm miniatures to semi-doubles up to 20cm across. These camellias are often used in floral art. C. Jap. Kramer's Supreme
	Camellia hybrids based on the small leaf species... These generally have smaller leaves and bear small flowers in mass profusion. A wide range from true miniatures to strong upright plants that can be used as landscape or container plants. C. Hyb. Nikky Crisp
	Camellia sasanqua... Sasanquas are tough plants that cope well with wind, full sun or semi shade. They flower early autumn to early winter. Leaves are generally narrow, elliptical and pointed. Particularly suitable as hedges, screens and espaliers. Camellia sasanqua hybrids... Early, heavy flowering landscape plants that offer a variation in flower and plant appearance from full sasanquas. C. Sas. Jennifer Susan
	Camellia species... The species camellias can provide interest with unique attractive foliage. Well worth considering. Camellia Species, some of which are the parents of our present varieties, are usually incredibly hardy. Amongst them are some particularly graceful foliage types and some beautiful miniature flowers. C. Sp. Transnokoensis
	Camellia reticulata and large flowered reticulata hybrids... Reticulatas are characterised by fairly rapid strong open growth. Reticulatas will benefit from growth in the open and are sun-hardy. Very large blooms in the late winter through to spring are spectacular. C. ret. Black lace

SITE SELECTION TIPS... Camellias prefer a semi-shaded position – the south west side of the house, or dappled shade under trees is ideal. They will grow in full sun, especially the Sasanquas, but protection from strong sun and wind is best.

SOIL PREPARATION TIPS...

Camellias are shrubs from evergreen forests and are therefore suited to a soil with a high content of organic matter and slightly acid in ph. Planting sites are best prepared with peat moss or leaf mulch until the soil becomes friable. Mix 50/50 with the soil excavated for the planting hole. Use no lime as camellias require an acid soil. Stake you tree and protect with windbreak cloth.

MULCHING YOUR PLANT...

Camellias are shallow rooting, and therefore dry out easily. They also will not tolerate cultivation around their roots. To conserve moisture and reduce weeds use Peat Moss to mulch around the drip line to a depth of 50-70mm deep.

FEEDING YOUR PLANTS...

Feed with an acid fertiliser such as KINGS AZALEA,CAMELLIA AND RHODODENDRON FOOD immediately after flowering has ceased, and once more during the growing season.

SPRAYING YOUR PLANTS...

Spray against caterpillars, thrips, and aphids approximately three times during the year. Yates Confidor is ideal.

WATERING YOUR PLANTS...

Deep watering in dry periods is essential for healthy camellias. When watering, spray the underside of all foliage to reduce thrips and mites.

PRUNING YOUR PLANTS...

Prune after flowering, for shape only. The removal of spindly, damaged or overcrowded wood, the shortening of strong, uncharacteristic growth, and basic shape clipping is the only pruning required for camellias. Camellias can be trained into pillars, balls, standards and ground covers if desired.