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Florida Gardening

Five New Camellias Chansonette!

Carol love_the_yard (Zone 9A Jacksonville, FL)

12 years ago

Happiness is... five new camellias Chansonette encircling my backyard oak. I could just eat them up!

I am partial to camellias that are pink and have hidden stamen. Crazy, maybe, but I love camellias like Pink Perfection that have nothing but petals all the way to the center of the flower. (Maybe because I am not a big fan of yellow?) Chansonette couldn't be more perfect.

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Carol

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Comments (7)

annafl
12 years ago
Carol, that IS perfection. I can finish my coffee now as I have my ornamental fix for the day. Incredible flowers.

Anna
amberroses
12 years ago
I was just thinking how much I like camellias. They look nice all year and give me no trouble with diseases or pests. Yours are very pretty.
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There are numerous _Camellia sasanqua_ cultivars that are far preferable to 'Chansonette" if tree-like growth is what you want. Bear in mind that all camellias are considered slow-growing evergreen trees. 'Chansonette' is, indeed, compact and spreading. Two tall-growing, tree-like _Camellia sasanqua_ cultivars are 'Setsugekka' and 'Jean May.' We have specimens of those two varieties that are tree-sized, and they've never been trained arborescently. They've just grown into trees on their own. However, the 'Setsugekkas' have been in our yard since the early to mid-nineteen sixties and the 'Jean May' since the early nineteen seventies. I would say they're about the height of a large dogwood--not giants of the forest, but tree-sized, nonetheless.
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>I guess I am wondering if this is a plant I can use for my front flower bed, or if it is really a tree and will eventually be inappropriate. I don't want to have to dig up or kill a plant off in a few years because of my ignorance. Heimalis camellia 'Shishigashira' would work beautifully. It grows mostly sideways. We've had one for maybe 25 years and it's not yet two feet tall, but it has a nice horizontal full bushy structure. A beautiful plant with prolific blooming that goes on for about six weeks every year, even in the shade. We've bought 'Bonanaza' and 'Chansonette' for a similar kind of fairly low-growing use and have good expectations for them too, but I think 'Shishigashira' is the ultimate low grower in every way. It can make a nice little cheerful edging along a walkway too. Best wishes, Mary
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Impossible to pick only 5 and really mean it, but at this minute, I think my choices would be some oldies but goodies: 'Governor Mouton' 'Otome' (AKA 'Pink Perfection') 'Professor Sargent' (if it's a true red, and not orangey) 'Comte de Gomer' 'Alba Plena' I like a lot of the camellias others have listed also. And I will hit 'Submit' before I start with 5 runners up! This post was edited by vmr423 on Fri, Sep 27, 13 at 12:56
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The last 5 years we worked to remove all of our lawn; have finally reached the point today that our whole yard is a garden filled with flowers and edibles and NO LAWN! The bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and numerous other birds are very happy to find Dill, Holy Basil, Lime Basil, Red Rubin Basil, Lemon Basil, (plus more), Comfrey, Bee Balm, Elephant Garlic, Detroit Red Beets, Onions, Egyptian Walking Onions, various Swiss Chard, Strawberries, Carrots, Crinums, Amaryllis, Rain Lilies, Daffodils, Grape Hyacinth, various other bulbs (what can I say...they are EASY), Agastache, Salvias, Iris, Cannas, Bluebonnets, Mums, Spiderwort, Asparagus, various Mints, and Blackberries, Blueberries, Pomegranates, Peach Trees, Apricot Trees, Pear Tree, Plum Tree, Apple Tree and Pecan Trees make nice with Red Oaks, Redbud, various Crepe Myrtles, Russian Sage, Hardy Asters, various roses (yes, I CAN grow roses!), Oleanders, various Hibiscus, various lantanas, Caryopteris, etc. And to all that are mixed in the veggies and annual flowers. I'm an open book...still learning how to use everything we are growing, such as teas, etc. Next on the list of "To Do" are ponds and chickens (our one bunny is lonely). Thanks to all the great people on GW who shared their seeds, cuttings, plants, bulbs, advise, etc., I now have a wonderful place to escape the world while I enjoy Mother Nature! Peggy
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Carol love_the_yard (Zone 9A Jacksonville, FL)
Original Author
12 years ago
Thanks so much! Camellias are great for so many reasons: cold hardy, evergreen (don't lose leaves in winter) and flowering. I am slowly but surely planting camellias all the way around the perimeter of the house.

Chansonette is a small, weeping variety. It makes a good low hedge, espalier or ground cover.
marcia_m
12 years ago
Very pretty. I planted a camellia this spring as an experiment but the vicious weedwacker person got it and it just died. How well do they do in southwest Florida? Is it too hot for them in the summer here? I know they like acid soil but most of ours is fill that has limestone-seashell type chunks in it so I'm guessing it's alkaline.
Marcia
amberroses
12 years ago
They do fine in the St. Pete area so probably they'd do well for you too. Mine get afternoon shade. I've never pruned them. They grow slowly.
Randy Ritchie
12 years ago
Oh, what a beauty! I miss my camellias from Savannah...wahhhh. I don't think any camellias grow this far south though, sadly. But we can live vicariously through your photos at least.
Randy
saldut
12 years ago
I was in Lowes yesterday, and they had several types-colors camellias... a pinky-red, a white, and another I think, all were $14.95... as I recall... it said on the tag 'shade' or only morning-sun.... they also had a dark-burgundy and red shrimp plant, also some passiflora, blue and white.. and more vines than usual....I had to work hard to restrain myself!!... sally

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