All you diehard flowering shrub people, and not a one has any of these shrubs. Ahhh, c'mon. Share your expertise with a dummie.

I have NO experience with camellias, so I didn't respond. Of the hydrangeas, I have only used the native ones: oakleaf hydrangea and hydrangea arborescens (cultivar is "Annabelle"). But you may be referring to the mophead hydrangeas (hydrangea macrophylla such as "Endless Summer"); don't know about those.

I will say that deer are quite fond of these and routinely nip the tips of the ones furthest from the house. To minimize the "tastiness", I spray the new leaves occasionally with Deer Off. I even spray the dormant branch tips in winter. Other people I know string fishing line or a simple electric fence (just a wire, really).

Thanks esh for posting. I really don't know what kind I'm gonna get...Peegee maybe. Is there much fuss about planting and caring for hydrangeas, other than the normal stuff? I live on the edge of a dense treeline, so I have deer also sneaking in my front yard to visit my euonymus shrubs. They peeled all the leaves off a couple of years ago before I knew what was going on.

let me preface this post by saying i have a fenced yard, so i'm deer-proof :) i grow both camellias and hydrangeas. camellias: i've planted varieties that give me bloom from late august through late april. they're planted in all kinds of exposures, from full shade to half-day full sun - depending on the type. very generally speaking, sasanquas can handle more sun than japonicas - i'm sure this statement will elicit some disagreement, but it's my own rule of thumb based on experience. japonicas can grow to be quite tall/wide - i have a ten year old that is over 20' tall x 10' wide. sasanquas tend to be more shrub-like in form. a mature "shishigashira" will be 5'x5'. i've found camellias very easy to grow - they like good drainage and rich soil (i use leaf compost). i highly recommend that you check out camellia forest nursery here in chapel hill - they've got a great website camforest.com

hydrangeas: i have the oakleaf - blooms in early summer, upright white panicles, burgundy fall/winter foliage. i love the foliage on this one. it's in a part-sun location on woods edge. i have hydrangea paniculata "tardiva" - a late summer/fall bloomer, long white panicles that are great for both cut & dried arrangements. i leave the blooms on them for "winter interest". these are scattered around my yard in all exposures from nearly full-sun to part shade. they're fast growers and get quite large - i have one that's 15' tall. i've read that they can be trained to tree form. i have several varieties of hydrangea macrophylla, also easy to grow. i tend give these more shade, particularly from afternoon sun, than the oakleaf or tardiva, and need regular watering during dry periods. hydrangeas are very easy to start from cuttings & i've had great success expanding my numbers this way.

A camellia would probably want the same conditions as the gardenia, so that is something you might want to consider. If you want a mophead (H. macrophylla) for its colorful blooms, you probably again need similar conditions (ie., part sun and moist but not soggy soil). If you buy a mophead that can change color, acid soil will generally produce bluish blooms and more neutral/alkaline will produce more pinkish blooms. If you choose a pee gee or one of the other H. paniculata types (eg., "Limelight" or "Pink Diamond", etc.), those like full sun.

Fantastic folks. That's what I was looking for...really good tips, especially chapelhillgardener because your so close. Thanks again.

Macrophylla's will want some winter protection. They are not shrubs, typically, that do well in the middle of the yard. Against the house, shed or surrounded by shrubs will be the best planting site. There are lots of varieties to choose from but Nikko is reliable as is Endless Summer.
I like Blue Billow massed with Nikko.

Paniculatas like full sun. Limelight and Unique are my favorites. Avoid "peegee". There are better varieties.
Although I would like to have a peegee standard.

Alice is a fast growing, easy to grow oak leaf with gorgeous ruby red leaves in autumn. Mine get full sun.

I have many camellias, and it is really is just a matter of picking out what you like best in color, bloom type and shrub shape. Japonicas like some shade and for the most part, bloom in the late winter and spring. Sasanquas bloom better in full sun and tend to bloom fall through early winter, in general.
Kramer's Supreme is a red I like, so is Professor Sergeant.
Visit a good nursery in the fall and see what appeals to you. Nuccio's pearl is a lovely formal pink and Tama-no-ura is a beautiful weeping small blossomed shrub.
A long blooming sas. is Sparkling Burgundy.

Other easy SHRUBS/trees that add summer to fall interest are Rose of Sharon (I like standards best), knockout roses, crepe myrtles, nandinas, butterfly bushes and a bazillion different perennials.

For the spring, my must have SHRUBS are weigela, mock orange, azaleas, camellias, scotch broom, indian hawthorne, abelia, roses, spirea, viburnums, deutzia,...that's all I can easily think of right now.

Get the Southern Living Garden book. It will answer most questions and is indispensable around here.

Thanks bumblebeez. Also some very good information that I will put to good use.