Great shots! I love the color in the second one.

They do have great flowers. I also love the dark, shiny evergreen foliage. I wonder why we don't see more of these plants used around here?

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Bill,

Gorgeous photos! The first is 'April Blush'? Is the one with red stripes 'April Dawn'? And what is the name of the red one!? Good to know there is a hardy red! It's beautiful.

Can't wait to receive my two next month. --Even more so now after seeing your pictures.

Leslie

Love your camellias, Bill! I didn't know there was a red hardy camellia, either. I like the stripe one, reminds me of peppermint. I hope they will be alright with the low temps tonight and tomorrow night. I almost ordered some of those this spring, but my list has gone back on the shelf until I have time to plant. That sedum is looking great too.

Leslie,
'April Blush' is the first one. The striped one is 'April Dawn", but the red one was also labeled as 'April Dawn'. I have read that the flowers on 'April Dawn' can vary a lot. It's possible that the red one was mislabeled, or I was very lucky to get a plant that was rooted as a cutting from a sport branch or something. I am very pleased.

Ann,
Thanks for the compliment. I hope you can find a way to plant at least one of these. You'll get years of rewards for just a couple of shovels full of soil!

Here are some of 'April Blush' that I just took today. I have never had so many blooms on it!

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Bill, that is an amazing photo of your shrub. If I get any time at all and they are not sold out, I'm still going to try to get the April Blush. Good luck this week with the cold temps.

Nice photos, Bill. I'm not the biggest fan of camellias but you do have some attractive ones. The flowers look nice against the dark green glossy foliage. The first two photos remind me of Knockout rose cultivars. BTW, the photo of the red one is outstanding from a photography perspective. Red is really difficult to photograph accurately.

Tree Oracle,
Thanks. I know what you mean about red in photos. I find that if I adjust exposure compensation down (-) a bit, the color rendition is more accurate. I use a Fuji camera which I have found to give the nicest results. I had used someone's Canon SLR, but the colors were off quite a bit, and I had a Nikon SLR which was better than the Canon, but didn't capture the green shades the way the Fuji does, and it had a lot of trouble with the reds as well.

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Oh my! Bill,

How lucky to get that gorgeous red --whatever its name might be. They're all amazing. I regret not getting a camellia or two last year because of the mild Winter. I hope the two I've ordered don't have to go through brutal weather next Winter.

(But my M. 'Bracken's Brown Beauty' looks great!)

Leslie there are dozens of Camellias, both spring and fall blooming, that are hardy in zone 6. Like any broadleaf evergreen they benefit from a good location where winter sun and wind won't overtax them, but otherwise they are fine. If you have a spot where they can get some protection from the hottest summer sun I would definitely try them.

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I managed to place an order for a Camellia with Camellia Forest and just had notification that it will be delivered tomorrow. Exciting. Now I don't remember which one I ordered. (g) It was either April Remembered or April Kiss, I think. April something... I haven't figured out where to put it yet. I was hoping to plant it in the east facing foundation of the front of the house, but that area is still being worked on. But I hate to leave it in the pot and take the chance I forget to water it, so I probably will plant it right away somewhere. Any thoughts on location?

Ann,
Does that side of the house get shade from the midday summer sun? They don't really like it too hot and sunny in summer, and even in winter a little shade is good. But I don't think that you would have a problem if you put it in a larger pot when it arrives, until the yard work is complete. I had one of mine in a pot for two years until the site was ready. I'd put the pot in full shade for now so it won't dry out too quickly, but it should be fine.

Bill, that sounds like a good way to do it. Good idea. I have East facing on either the front of the house or in the back along the lot line. I'll have to time the sun in the front, I haven't done that in awhile. In the back I have East facing too, but there is a post and rail fence behind and sometimes it's breezy there. I thought that it might be more sheltered with the house behind it in the front, then with the breeziness of the back part of the garden. I am looking forward to getting that delivery tomorrow!

Ann,
Protection from the wind is important. Like any broadleaved evergreen, winter winds can desiccate the leaves and when the ground is frozen the roots can't get water to the plant.
Enjoy your plant! I know when I'm awaiting a delivery there's always that air of excitement so I know how you feel.

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Thanks Bill :-) I'll try to post a photo when it gets here.

My two Camellias are arriving today! I can't wait to get home! Hope Fed-Ex doesn't leave the box upside down (AGAIN!)

Leslie, isn't that funny that ours are both coming on the same day. Mine has arrived and I have to say, very well packaged. Had a sticker on it saying which end was up and was secured in the box so there was no loose soil or any movement apparently, because the plant looked perfect. It came in a plastic bag without a pot with a twist tie on it and I just potted it up.

Very shiny clean foliage with a nice structure to the plant. Evidently I ordered 'April Blush'. Ok, now hurry up and grow. (g)

Thanks Bill for sharing your camillia successes and photos, it was certainly the only reason I ordered one. :-) Good luck with yours Leslie!

Ann,
It looks nice and healthy. Good luck with it!

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Hi prairiemoon2 (Ann),

My 'April Remembered' looks quite a bit like your plant. I'll try to take pics. I asked for the middle size, but they sent a smaller one and a refund check. Guess they ran out. My 'Winter's Rose' is quite large --maybe it will bloom this Fall... I didn't see any arrows or 'this end up' on my box, and true to form, Fed-Ex stood it up the long way --I think 'April Remembered' was hanging above 'Winter's Rose', but they were held in by tight string and nothing was harmed. --And my husband got the box in almost as soon as it was delivered. (I was tracking it!)

Mine are still in their plastic bags sitting in my den, I'm ashamed to say. But I'll be planting 'Winter's Rose' almost immediately. --As soon as I move a peony I just planted last Fall. That should be an easy move. 'April Remembered' will have to go into a pot while I figure out where to plant it.

Good luck with yours too! Hope to share photos of the new beauties in the future.

Hi Leslie, I ordered the smaller size because I wanted to see how they would do over the winter first. That way if I kill it, I won't feel too bad. (g) If this one works out, I plan to order the larger sizes in other varieties. I love the foliage even without the bloom. Handsome.

This is one of the few times, I potted up a plant as soon as it came, so I usually feel guilty too. I rarely have a place 'ready' for the plant when I get it. I always have to move something else.

It will be fun to see how they do.

Hello All,
My neice in NJ has the most lovely RED camelia ('zackly like yours Bill!) growing in her backyard. She gives it no care, just a good whacking every other summer and the hundreds of blosssoms on this plant are absolutely breathtaking. I always thought Camelias were the most difficult of all plants to grow, but this one is stunning. I may have to reevaluate..... I took several cuttings and they have been in water for the past few days. About how long do you think it will take to get a root on one of these cuttings? They say it is easier to get a rooted cutting in the springtime from softwood. What say you? They are tantalizingly beautiful!

Debra,
I had cut a flower from my fall-blooming 'Snow Flurry' a few years ago, and although the flower didn't last long, the leaves stayed green.........and on and on for over a year in just water! Eventually it did form roots. But I would recommend getting a rooting hormone powder and using sand (clean builders sand) to root them. It should only take a few weeks. Just keep them moist and out of the sun and you should get some success. Good luck with them.

Do you know what kind of Camellia your niece has? Not all of them are hardy in zone 6, and much of NJ is zone 7.

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Debra, I agree with Bill. I've started a number of things using the method he described with my own modifications. Sand, with about 20% peat moss or potting soil mixed into it. I actually just put about a 3 inch layer in the bottom of a deep plastic sweater box that was even opaque, used the rooting powder and took lots of different cuttings and planted them in the sweater box, misted them well until wet but not sitting in water and put the cover on. No drainage holes on the box, and no air holes on the cover. I left the box near my back steps in shade for about a month and every time I walked by it, I'd check it and take the top off a little to give it some air, and I had pretty good results. All the boxwood I started this way, rooted well. Roses rooted quickly. It is not an ideal method, I know, but it was very easy and that was what was important to me. I didn't have time to fuss with it.