Both locations sound fine in terms of light, though if "some afternoon sun" is direct, early afternoon sun, your camellia's leaves may get sunburned. "Shadier and woodier" sounds more like the native environment for all camellias, but they do need at least some sunlight for best bloomage. Too much dense shade reduces bloom, too much sun can scald the leaves or dry out the plant too much. Wisteria is one of the least well-behaved plants in my neck of the woods, so I would be extremely cautious about planting anything I wanted to survive near a wisteria. In your situation, if your wisteria is well-behaved/ well-controlled, you may not have any problems. Another thing to consider is exposure to wind. If you have windy weather at times, which location will offer more protection? I hope this helps- I'm sure others will chime in with other things to consider. Good luck with the "big move", Virginia

Chas, Is the white one getting enough sun? Watch to make sure it gets at least 5 hours of sunshine. Do you want to know how I get my "beast" to bloom all summer? After it blooms, I wait a month and I cut it back. Cut it to the branch. It will regrow quickly and bloom again for you. Don't beat it. Just cut it. NEVER put any fertilizer on it, ever. Just water it often. Try it and see if it works.

Yes, it's fragrant both times. The fragrance isn't strong though - it doesn't carry far. Normally the spring bloom is so profuse that the scent is noticeable in the surrounding area in early morning. The summer bloom is considerably less profuse so the scent isn't obvious unless you sniff the individual flowers. The young Japanese wisteria flowered for the first time this spring - its scent is really nice too.

I just saw this thread. I'm also in zone 4. I brought two young wisteria vines (in pots) with me when I moved here from the north SF Bay area of CA five winters ago. One is still in its pot, the other is planted in my front yard. When I checked with the local nurseries here, the best we could come up with is "iffy" on the wisteria surviving the winters. They're actually both doing fine. So far. The potted one comes inside as soon as it goes dormant, and spends the winter in my enclosed, but unheated, front porch. I give it 'some' water about once a month, depending on how cold it is and how damp the soil is. In the spring, when the weather warms up, it goes back outside on my patio, which has a roof, but is otherwise open. The one planted in the yard, I will admit, gives me a strong case of "nerves" every spring, waiting for it to...do something. It's always the last plant to show any movement in the buds. The first couple years it was very hesitant and the growth wasn't as luxious as I know it can be. This past summer though, it took off like crazy, sending out new growth every which way. For the first time since planting, I actually had to prune a little. I'm wanting this to grow the same way you mention, as a standard. Winter protection, when it was small enough, was provided by removing the bottom from a cheap plastic garbage can, putting that over the vine, and then filling it with cedar mulch. The second year, the top was higher than the upside down garbage can, so I put a five gallon bucket, upside down, over the top. There was no mulch inside the bucket. I did have some top burnback from the winter temps (which can get -30° here), but the rest of the vine was fine. Last winter, and now, the vine has gotten too tall for the garbage can method, so I went to Home Depot and got a couple 4 ft high, 12 inch diameter, Quick Tubes. These are very heavy cardboard tubes used for pouring concrete pillars. I covered the bottom of one tube, inside and out, with plastic to keep it from getting wet. Then I "bundled up" the branches of the vine to keep them from breaking, and slid the tube over the vine, filling it completely with cedar mulch. Because it tends to be top-heavy, the tube has to be staked so it won't fall over. Then I covered the top with plastic (garbage bag) and duct-taped everything down. Worked last winter, and I expect it'll work again this winter, especially as mild as it's been. The only other problem I've encountered is that the Japanese beetles LOVE to munch on it. I put a trap out each year, and employ the "two-block" method - smash the beetles between two blocks of wood. Doesn't seem to harm the wisteria at all. This summer, I'm hoping to get some Milky Spore and spread it around the yard to combat the beetle problem. Hope this helps.