Camellia

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Fleur Pavlidis

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Camellia
« on: April 11, 2013, 10:39:05 AM »
Using Hilary's introduction of Camellia in her note on Madrid, can someone give advice on how to care for camellias in pots in our climate eg how much sun/shade, what soil and fertiliser and possible needs to be/not to be potbound
« Last Edit: April 13, 2013, 12:05:45 PM by Alisdair »
MGS member, Greece. I garden in Attica, Greece and Mt Goulinas (450m) Central Greece

Hilary

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Camellia
« Reply #1 on: April 11, 2013, 04:39:55 PM »
Fleur,
Every year vans pass in Corinth selling Camellias and Gardenias.
People, including me in the past, enthusiastically  buy them but I have never seen one that lasted more than a year or so.
They just do not grow in Corinth, either they don't like the water or the climate.
However, there are a few  growing in Sparta in shady back yards under vines and in large barrels.
MGS member
Living in Korinthos, Greece.
No garden but two balconies, one facing south and the other north.
Most of my plants are succulents which need little care

Alice

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Re: Camellia
« Reply #2 on: April 12, 2013, 12:16:58 AM »
I used to know a number of people who grew Gardenias very successfully in Athens, using large iron barrels. The plants were kept close to the house in shade. There is a Gardenia (cultivar ?) which can take full sun. Our neighbour grows it on Paros.
Amateur gardener who has gardened in north London and now gardens part of the year on the Cycladic island of Paros. Conditions: coastal, windy, annual rainfall 350mm, temp 0-35 degrees C.

Trevor Australis

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Re: Camellia
« Reply #3 on: April 12, 2013, 01:31:06 AM »
Yes, Gardenia thunbergii will grow in sunny situations and doesn't mind alkaline soils, even quite difficult rocky soils. I am unsure about its cold tolerance but it certainly grows very well on the Adelaide Plains, in the Barossa and Clare Valleys. Old 19thC camellia varieties tolerate similar conditions well too tho' they do best where the roots are in a cool shady site with top growth in the sun, or light dappled shade. A mulch of old manure - cow, horse, goat, alpaca, donkey, sheep etc is good mulch and helps to keep the soil and roots cool. Near here there is a plantation of Camellias that were planted in 1846 - all old Italian, French, British, Portuguese and Australian bred. They are small trees and are on a bald hill top and haven't been watered in at least 100 yrs. The old kinds are much tougher than modern kinds.
M Land. Arch., B. Sp. Ed. Teacher, traveller and usually climate compatible.

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Fleur Pavlidis

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Re: Camellia
« Reply #4 on: April 12, 2013, 08:19:59 AM »
Back to Camellias, under vines means summer shade  and winter sun so perhaps that's something to try. Thanks, Hilary.
MGS member, Greece. I garden in Attica, Greece and Mt Goulinas (450m) Central Greece

Hilary

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Re: Camellia
« Reply #5 on: January 26, 2020, 07:04:44 AM »
Camellia japonica, Camelio

We saw this Camellia in THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN, MADRID in April 2018
This, together with other Camellias, is growing under the summer shade of some very tall trees. One of the trees is Gleditsia macrantha.

When we saw the tree it was just beginning to produce leaves, I took a photo of the trunk and bare branches; you can see that there are other tall trees in the neighbourhood.

 Fleur says in a discussion about Camellias on this Forum
Quote
“Camellias, under vines means summer shade  and winter sun so perhaps that's something to try.”

Gleditsia macrantha

Looking this tree up in the excellent index to THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN I came across this article in journal number 42, October 2005
LUCK OR JUDGMENT? by Rory Stuart
MGS member
Living in Korinthos, Greece.
No garden but two balconies, one facing south and the other north.
Most of my plants are succulents which need little care

Hilary

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Re: Camellia
« Reply #6 on: February 02, 2020, 08:12:34 AM »
Camellia japonica, Dr. Clifford Parks

Yet another Camellia seen in THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN, MADRID in April 2018

Camellias are mentioned in many issues of the journal; however, I was lucky enough to find an article I had not already ‘used’ very quickly
Read

MY HERBACEOUS WATERWISE GARDEN
By Eile Gibson in THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN number 97, July 2019
MGS member
Living in Korinthos, Greece.
No garden but two balconies, one facing south and the other north.
Most of my plants are succulents which need little care

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Charithea

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Re: Camellia
« Reply #7 on: February 02, 2020, 09:22:14 AM »
Hilary, they are really beautiful flowers. I have never tried to grow them. The lady opposite us has a medium size tree. She spends lots of time feeding it to get results. I do not have that type of patience.  By the way I loved your still life arrangements.
I garden in Cyprus, in a flat old farming field, alt. approx. 30 m asl.

Hilary

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Re: Camellia
« Reply #8 on: February 02, 2020, 10:43:28 AM »
I like making the still life arrangements
There is another one waiting  to be posted probably in about ten days
MGS member
Living in Korinthos, Greece.
No garden but two balconies, one facing south and the other north.
Most of my plants are succulents which need little care

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Charithea

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Re: Camellia
« Reply #9 on: February 02, 2020, 12:10:52 PM »
Good, I look forward to it. Do you ever sit  and relax painting  your arrangements?
I garden in Cyprus, in a flat old farming field, alt. approx. 30 m asl.

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Alisdair

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Re: Camellia x williamsii 'E G Waterhouse'
« Reply #10 on: April 11, 2020, 04:02:27 PM »
This camellia grows very well for us in Sussex, particularly when there's a hot spring like we have at the moment. Although the late Prof Waterhouse who bred it lived in Sydney, I know that at least one Melbourne nursery stocks it, so I'd hope that it might do well in the mediterranean-climate parts of Australia.
Alisdair Aird
Gardens in SE England (Sussex); also coastal Southern Greece, and (in a very small way) South West France; MGS member (and former president); vice chairman RHS Lily Group, past chairman Cyclamen Society

Hilary

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Re: Camellia
« Reply #11 on: August 30, 2020, 11:07:44 AM »
Camellia japonica, variegated

This is the last photo from our visit to the Royal Botanic Garden, Madrid  in April 2018

Looking in the journal index I found more references to Camellias than I could wish for
In the end I chose GANNA WALSKA’S LOTUSLAND by Martin Wood for you to read.

I just wonder how many of you actually are in possession of
 THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN number 4, Spring 1996
MGS member
Living in Korinthos, Greece.
No garden but two balconies, one facing south and the other north.
Most of my plants are succulents which need little care