Plant camellias; it's the Southern thing to do
They are more than halfway into their blooming period. Although showing dozens of blooms, the camellias, those beautiful shrubs of the south, still have many buds waiting to open.
Every southern yard of a size that will allow it should have a camellia, and we had several given to us years ago by my Ed's friend Dave "Doc" Chastain of Williamston.
These easy-to-grow evergreen shrubs are important to a garden design all year. Then from autumn until spring they give you beautiful blooms to be enjoyed outdoors and to be brought indoors for bright, colorful arrangements.
They are undemanding plants, unlike hybrid tea roses that get all kinds of things, and ask only that you put them in a partially shaded location in medium to acid soil that is well drained. These are long-lived plants and can grow large, as much as 35 feet without pruning, so be sure of the location before you plant them.
If you are putting camellias near the house or a fence, set them six feet or so away so the plant can grow. We have a "Pink Perfection" that is about 17 feet tall and 12 feet or more wide.
