Camellias are known as the “Queen of Classic Southern Gardens”, and quite the Victorian tea garden we all enjoyed at our Garden Club gathering on Feb 4th, thanks to hostesses Mary Williams, Pam Perkins, Anne Larson, Ev Simon and Barb Comstock. The clubhouse was beautifully decorated with an elegant Victorian flair from yesteryear, finding relics of jewelry, beautiful fabrics, teas, and delicious treats adorned.

Our speakers, Jim and Nancy Gaines highlighted their passion for camellias and have spent countless hours researching these magnificent historical flowers. Their presentation highlighted a few tips that we can all learn from, as many of us have at least one camellia bush close by in Lake Forest.

Here are a few points to ponder about camellias. In June 1999, the Alabama Legislature agreed to specifically name Camellia japonica as the official State flower.

Green tea is made from the dried leaves of Camellia sinensis, a perennial evergreen shrub. Green tea has a long history of use, dating back to early China. Sinensis means Chinese in Latin. Green tea, black tea, and oolong tea are all derived from the same plant.

There are thousands of Camellia japonica varieties. Flower colors range from white, through pale to rich pink and to red - or combinations of all three. Flower shapes have as much variety as any rose, from singles with a boss of yellow stamens, to ornate doubles.

It is best to plant camellias in the fall when they are dormat and semi-shade is best. One important tip is to plant the root ball several inches (5 +) above the ground. Camellias breath through the lower area of the stem. Be cautious to plant the hole wider and not deep and mound up an inch or two around the base. Cotton seed fertilizer is a good choice and should be added when you see new growth in the spring. Be sure to add mulch around the outer base, not next to it because close mulch can attrack insects. Out with the critters!

When purchasing camellias there are generally 3 definitions to the different types located on the information cards attached to the bush. “Upright” means 3-4 times as tall as wide. “Spreading” means twice as wide as tall and “Normal” is twice as tall as wide. (This is beginging to sound like my highschool class reunion) That said, keep in mind where you plant your camellia so it has adequate room for height and width.

Bloomers: (exuse me…well it was a Victorian theme). Flowers range from minitures at 2 ½ inches to very large blooms extending up to 5 inches across. So keep in mind the size of flower you prefer to enjoy when selecting the type of camellia for your yard. Early bloomers are Sept through November. Early to mid season bloomers are early November to mid December and late blooms will be found, mid February to mid March.

Pruning:Trim close to the stalk and don’t trim the tops. If you have a punky camellia, cut back hard and low. You will be quite surprised at how well they reguvinate. Best time for pruning is right after it has stopped blooming. Also, trim away extra interior leaves. The Chinese believed that a bird should be able to fly freely through it.

A few last tips: Purchase camellias when a bloom is present. Buy what’s in stock and purchase locally. Also, there will be many varities to select from if your in the market for a camellia at the Master Gardeners plant sale across from Weeks Bay Reserve near the fish River bridge (Hwy 98) April 9th, 10th and 11th.

Next month our meeting will be held March 4th at 9:45 at the Yacht Club. Pat Libby, Master Gardener will be highlighting Awesome Containers, Thrillers, Fillers and Spillers. Please come and join us! For more information on the Garden Club, call President Elaine Maxime @ 626-7515.