DEL.ICIO.USMARTHA TATE
Solve mystery of your flowers at camellia show
Thursday, February 12, 2009
On Feb. 21-22, the North Georgia Camellia Society will hold its annual camellia show at the Atlanta Botanical Garden.
It’s been a “wicked year” for the winter flowers, according to John Newsome, president of the society, with severe cold snaps coming just as many of the midseason varieties started to open.
MARTHA TATE/Special
Camellia japonica ‘Fire Falls’ is a good candidate for an espalier on a fence, or nice in a shrub border.
IF YOU GO
North Georgia Camellia Society annual show. 1-5 p.m. Feb. 21; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Feb. 22. Free with garden admission. Day Hall, at the Atlanta Botanical Garden, 1345 Piedmont Ave. N.E. 404-876-5859, atlantabotanicalgarden.org.
MARTHA'S PICK
Botanical name: Camellia japonica 'Fire Falls'
About the plant: A large, peony-form bloom that is glowing red. Flowers appear early to late season on a vigorous, open, upright plant. Evergreen. 1955 introduction.
Use in the garden: A good candidate for an espalier on a fence, or nice in a shrub border.
Planting and care: Plant in filtered light under a high tree canopy. Good drainage is essential. Plant slightly above ground level.
Source: Ashe-Simpson Garden Center, 4961 Peachtree Industrial Blvd., Chamblee. 770-458-3224.
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Mild weather is in the forecast, so Newsome is hoping for a rebound in time for the show.
Once again, the society will welcome novices — growers who have never participated in a show. Flowers should be brought to Day Hall at the Atlanta Botanical Garden from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. Feb. 21.
If you don’t know the name of your camellia, society members will be on hand to try to identify your flower.
You can bring in flowers for identification throughout the two-day event. It’s also a good opportunity to see flowers you’d like to grow in your yard.
Following are a couple of questions I had for Newsome:
Q: One Christmas, I asked a friend if I could have a few blooms from her ‘Professor Charles S. Sargent’ camellia (a bright red flower) to decorate my silver service. She said that something strange had happened.
While most of the blooms were the typical red peony type, some branches had dark pink flowers that had an entirely different form.
It only happened that year. What was the deal?
A: A lot of varieties “sport,” that is, the plant produces branches with blooms that are totally different from the main plant. We call ‘Betty Sheffield’ the “sporting queen” of camellias.
There are at least 12 named varieties that came from the original.
If a plant is small, and half the shrub appears to “sport,” you can cut off the offending branches to keep the variety pure.
Q: How do you know which camellia will make a good landscape plant?
I’ve noticed that some have a loose form, which I guess could be good for an espalier, but what if I want a dense, compact shrub?
A: You can order the 2009 Camellia Nomenclature book from the headquarters of the American Camellia Society in Fort Valley.
The book gives you the bloom color and type, time of flowering — early, midseason, late — and growth habit of the plant.
Most of the time, you’ll get the date of introduction and the hybridizer or place of origin. (Note: The 2009 book, which also lists hybrids and other camellia species, can be ordered online at www.americancamellias.org or by calling 1-877-422-6355. $20 for non-members; $18 for members, plus shipping and handling.)
Q: What are some dependable cultivars of Camellia japonica or other hybrids for the Atlanta area?
A: Red — ‘Kramer’s Supreme’; light pink — ‘Moonlight Bay’; deep pink — ‘Lady Clare’; variegated — ‘Colonial Lady’; white — ‘Nuccio’s Gem.’
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