Camellia 'Something Beautiful'

I caught a glimpse of something pink in the woodland garden as I was driving away from my house last week. I was going too fast to be certain, but from its location I thought it had to be Camellia japonica 'Something Beautiful.'

Blooming at last! This plant has been a disappointment since I planted it several years ago. Each year it produced only two or three blooms, though I know one sometimes has to be patient.

Growers often create an artificial environment that stimulates early, heavy bloom set that attracts buyers but promptly stops when the plant encounters normal garden conditions. It may be several years before the plant adapts and begins to produce abundant blooms again. Very young plants especially may need several years to mature. Too much or too little water, extreme cold, or insufficient light are also causes of poor bloom production.

When I went to check, it was indeed 'Something Beautiful,' finally living up to its name. It wasn't smothered in blooms, like some of my other camellias, but there were enough to impress.'Something Beautiful' is a Southern favorite, with pastel-pink flowers, edged with darker burgundy. My particular plant produced a variety of blooms, as you can see here.All of the flowers in this post came from the same plant at the same time.

'Something Beautiful' is a bushy, upright grower, reaching 10-12' high x 3-10' wide. It has glossy, oval evergreen leaves. It will grow in US hardiness zones 7-8, and it will produce blooms from winter into spring in acidic, well-drained soil, high in organic matter.

To encourage good drainage it is important to plant all camellias high, with their trunk bases above the soil line. Protect the roots with mulch and keep the soil moist but not soggy. Light shade under the canopy of tall, deep rooted trees that allow sun to filter through is ideal. To promote good health, keep spent blooms and fallen leaves cleaned from under the shrub. Wait until blooming has finished in early spring to fertilize. Camellias don't need a lot of fertilizer; once every two or three years may be sufficient. When you do fertilize, use an organic fertilizer created for acid loving plants. Any pruning should also be done immediately after the plant has finished flowering.

Here in the Deep South, winter is the perfect time to plant camellias; consider this one when you want something beautiful!

In the February Garden

A wintry storm with bitter cold temperatures is headed our way, though whether it actually arrives is another matter. Forecasters tend to get excited and talk for days about any sort of ice or snow, but often it fizzles out and we all end up with extra milk and bread for no good reason. (The grocers in our area must be thrilled whenever winter precipitation is predicted, as everyone is obligated to stock up for blizzard conditions, even if only a dusting of snow is forecast. This is tradition.)

Yesterday, while Lou went to the store for emergency milk and bread, I went for a walk around the garden. There are a few flowers blooming in anticipation of spring, which, winter storm or not, should be here in a few weeks.

Flowering quince, Chaenomales, is one of the earliest signs of spring and will continue to bloom profusely for weeks:

Hellebores also are early bloomers, and their flowers will persist for months, all of them eventually shading to pale green:Fortunately, most of my daffodils are not yet blooming and should do OK through the winter storm, but a few are flowering. I am glad I got to see them before they got zapped:Here are some more scenes around the February garden:

You may note the Nandina domestica, growing above. This has proven to be terribly invasive, and I have pulled hundreds of these plants out of my woodland garden. The area shown here is a wild area immediately adjacent to the garden. I have given up trying to eradicate them all, and I am now content to keep them under control. My neighbors love these, and one can still find them for sale. Sigh. At least they are pretty.

I will end with a few pot shots, focusing on details, since most of these containers are empty, waiting for spring: