Ingrid Although roses are...well..roses, swapping some decorative yet drought-tolerant shrubs and perennials for your not-so-heat-tolerant roses might salve your separation anxiety and enhance the beauty of the roses that are keepers. In the thread "Are Roses your Favorite Flower," I replied that roses reside nearest my gardening heart but then proceeded to list all the other flowering shrubs and perennials that serve to court my queens. My supporting cast of of fragrant and colorful companion plants plays a role similar to that of the white butterfly bush leaves in your 'President Carnot' arrangement. The silken rosy sheen of 'Carnot' is a thousand times richer because it is framed by the silver grey foliage of Buddleia davidii. A rose alone is like a queen without a country. Because my lot is about 75% smaller, I currently have half as many roses as I did at my last residence. Through the process of necessary reduction, I have discovered which roses are like air and water to me, which are those that truly sustain my soul when regularly encountered in the intimacy of my own garden. I have also learned which ones are lovely to visit but equally enjoyable from a greater sensual distance. It's wonderful that they're in the world, but I don't need to be with them every waking hour. I feel confident you will develop strong feelings for those roses which are your own true loves, the ones that display a developed sense of reciprocity and offer as much as you give. These will be the loyal ones, the ones that are steadfast and determined to stand shoulder to shoulder through the thick and thin of passing seasons. If you are like me, you will love a few roses of weaker constitution. You will embrace them flaws and all and tuck them into pots so that you may carefully dote and savor. I predict that rose relationships which are delicious but benign flirtations will cool, and if you are surprised by chance encounters, you will remember these roses as you do high school sweethearts. The pleasant memories will remain but the heartache of separation will be a distant memory. New relationships: if you are seeking more Buddleias, please let me know. In all my previous experiments, butterfly bushes have rooted like rabbits. I can offer B. davidii 'Black Knight,' B. davidii 'Harlequin,' and B. 'Lochinch.' Sharing your challenges: Annie's Annuals has so many plants I'd like to grow, but the poor buggers just croak in my cold, wet clay. They scoff at my amendment attempts. Some examples of hot dry climate perennials/annuals I'd like to grow but can't: Gaura 'Whirling Butterflies,' Eschscholzia californica (any please!), Agastache, Calochortus, Geum, any lavender but L. angustifolia and the odd L. stoechas (can't grow 'Night Wings' or 'Madrid Blue' to save my life), Oenothera (please forgive me all who are trying to eradicate this one), Penstemon, most sages, and Nemophila maculata 'Baby Five Spot.' I'd (almost) kill for the last one! Maybe you and I will have an opportunity to experience vicarious fulfillment as we post photos of our gardens from oh-so-opposite climates. If you successfully grow any of the above as rose companions, please do not hesitate to share. You'll hear my mixed sigh of envy and joy traveling down the I-5 corridor! With gardener's sympathy, Carol This post was edited by PortlandMysteryRose on Tue, Jun 18, 13 at 6:51

To research the truth about where the first camellia was planted outside, You can "Google" "The Magazine of Horticulture, Botany and all Useful Discoveries vol.5. Then Choose the link that carries you to "Find it at Harvard" Click on Vol. 5 and go to page 150. There is an article there from The Charleston Horticulture Society 1839 about Col. Lucas' Camellia. The Last line in the article reads " If the double and fine varieties of the camellia should prove as hardy as the single, and can be successfully cultivated, they must add greatly to the splendor of the flower garden". This statement reveals that the editor of the journal, C.M. Hovey, and The Horticulture Society of Charleston were unaware of any double camellia of age and substance growing outside in Charleston in 1839. It seems odd they would have missed the double camellia "Rein des Flueres" planted at Middleton over 50 years prior. This documents Col. Lucas' single red camellia as the first planted outside, Whether Middleton has another camellia named "Rein des Fluers" or not, it is a double and is not mentioned.

Littlem: Breeding new camellia is a fun hobby. It takes 5 years to see the first flower. Then it takes additional 3 years to evaluate the flower. The fragrant seedling plant of mine ia about 9 years old. If you just want to try to grow a few camellia seeds to see the possibility to have a nice new camellia. My advice is 'Do not do it'. Because the odds to produce a very nice camellia is very low, much less than 1/100. I would like to see you to learn an efficient way of camellia breeding first. Otherwise you will be occupied yourself with many ' dogs' of flower for many years. If you can develop an very special camellia for naming eventually, the sentimental value is priceless, more than your life time.

I know it is a very old thread to revive, but I thought I'd pitch in since the OP did not report back here. This is one of the few posts that pops up on Google when searching for non c sinensis, camellia tea. I've made tea from my camellia japonica and it compares favorably with commercial tea. It has a surprisingly fragrant, fresh profile and definitely has body. I did not detect any bitterness, before and after adding a little honey. The tea is very soothing. It is a very simple process to make the tea. I used a similar process to the one on the link provided. I prefer to cut and then rub my leaves and buds much finer than the ones pictured. I've also dried the leaves in the microwave instead of the oven. It is a really delicious tea & I will try to make a green version too. Right now I'm attempting to make it in enough quantities to store, instead of just enough for a single pot or cup. Here is a link that might be useful: Making black tea from your camellia japonica