Korean Fire in mid January / George Adams

My Korean Fire plants have decided that they think this is a nice time to bloom. Only problem is , that it is supposed to go into the teens tonight. So I think this is going to be the last of these flowers

Winter Protection Demo

Ok, so this isn`t something that has to be done every year. But for at least the first two years, and maybe three. Until the plant becomes established. Once established camellias are quite hardy.

If nothing else, you should apply a layer of mulch around the base of the plant, to a thickness of 4-6 inches. Be careful not to put it right up against the trunk, and make sure you remove the extra mulch in the spring. The best material is long pine needles, but dry leaves work as well.
Then to take it one step further, you can wrap the plant to help keep the wind off of it. I use black weed block fabric. the fabric type, not the plastic kind. I feel that it blocks the wind better than other alternatives , such as burlap.
First insert a circle of bamboo stakes around the base of the plant. Just outside of the branch spread. Wrap the fabric around and secure it with clothes pins or some other type of clips. metal paper binding clips work very well, but they get rusty

I am experimenting with something to take it even further. On plants that I am particularly worried about. I am putting frost fabric over the top . This will let light is, while completely blocking the wind. But it will also allow for air exchange It will have to be removed in the case of a heavy snow, however.

The photos show each of the three stages of winter protection.

Yuletide / George Adams

This camellia is aptly named . A week from Christmas , and it is blooming.
The freezes we had last week didn`t really effect it.

Still Blooming / George Adams

So far this has been a great Fall for camellias. some light frosts, but no early hard freezes. So I have had no flower damage what so ever !

Here it is , the first week of December and my Jean May camellia is completely going off !

Here are some photos

Daikagura / George Adams

These flowers are SO Bright in color. That my camera can`t reproduce them correctly. It actually comes out way too saturated, so I had to tone the photo down in a photo program.

I have two of these plants. This one is solid in color, where the other one ( which is not blooming) , is pink and white.

Bridget`s Fall Camellias / Bridget Decandido

Bridget sent some photos of the camellias she has blooming now.......Here they are .

Double Rainbow / George Adams

I Love This Plant !

It starts out more pink. But as the flower ages, it becomes more white in the center, yet the outside remains bright pink. So that it has a bi-color effect. I look forward to the day , that the plant is big and covered with flowers.