I asked about why to remove bottom leaves exactly for the reason greenclaws said - they will produce more food. Eventually, if they start looking really unsightly, you can remove them. If you want to grow thick trunk - or any shaping - it is bit of a process that doesn't usually happen in 1 season. Leaving any branches and leaves (unless diseased) will help plant to get stronger. That lower branch will be eventually cut/pruned off, and will very much help trunk to be thicker and tapered. Supplying lots of light in the meantime will help a lot, so plant doesn't etiolate. There is some etiolation now; look at the internodes (space between the leaves growing up the trunk) - they are bit too far apart. Only way to help that is lots of light. I keep all of them in full sun, outdoors. You should be able to in your zone too (if you have garden, terrace or balcony).

The buds will turn brown (before falling) although they will not necessarily turn brown on the day after a temp drop to low 20s or teens. And browned out buds may decide to wait a while before falling. Usually temps in the upper 20s are not an issue for the buds. Below that, it seems to vary. I have had temps in the teens before (but not often, once per winter or less) and, in the last 15 years, I only had bud drop once. I am not sure how much the mulching + watering deeply the night before has helped the buds but, I do that also to help other non-camellia plants that already have buds too.

From my experience, "ghosts" do not have the dexterity to unbuckle a dog collar. They can move small objects, but not manipulate them in a complex manner. First question: Why was anyone taking this video? I think that this was staged and that the dog collar was possibly held on with tape, or something that would possibly fall off on its own. The collar falls off when the dog is turning its head, and I think that this turning is what makes the collar eventually fall off. This could be enough to startle the dog. Generally, I have also found that the "ghosts" themselves do show up in some form on camera, and I do not see this here. If there is a ghost in the cage, then it should show up as a white orb, streak, or some sort of distortion. I've taken a lot of photos in which mysterious streaks show up, and I interpret those as some sort of otherwise invisible energy. I do not see that here. My brother's cats liked going into cages and enjoyed road trips. The cats voluntarily went into their cages when they sensed that they were about to go on a trip. Dogs might not like this, however.

'Lady Hillingdon' (shrub form) is something of a bully here, at 6'+ tall and 9'+ wide -- 'Fred Howard', for one, wishes she weren't so pushy (see photo below). The original clone was from Vintage and it did not do well in the spot I put it (outer edge of garden, so-so gravelly clay soil). So, after a few years, I removed it and, as often happens, it resprouted from the roots. Dug that plant up, grew it in a pot for a year or two, and planted it where it is now, in a prime (for here...) garden area, much nicer soil, where she took right off. I think she likes nice things. 'Lady Hillingdon is to the right in this group, leaning into 'Fred Howard'; 'Lemon Spice is the next rose to the left, then, on far left, 'Etoile de Feu' (who is a much larger, total stunner this year, after all that rain!): From a few years ago, already over my head: