Part of the charm of southern gardens is that no matter what time of the year it is, you're always going to find something in bloom--even in the winter. In fact, one of the star performers in the winter garden is the camellia. And one of the best places to see these beautiful flowers is at the Leu gardens in Orlando, Florida.Camellias are a favorite evergreen shrub or tree in southern gardens. Their exquisite deep-green, glossy leaves are the stage for colorful fragrant blooms that cover the plants from winter to early spring. They grow best in USDA Zones 7 to 10 and can reach heights of 25 feet, making them good candidates for an informal hedge.
You don't need to live in a warmer climate to enjoy these beauties. They'll bloom beautifully indoors in containers. Select a pot that is one size larger than the one the plant is already in. Fill the bottom third of the pot with potting soil, add some perlite and mix it up. Then put in the plant and finish filling with soil.
For watering, just keep the root zone moderately moist, not soaking wet. Camellias don't like wet feet. They need lots of sunshine.
Fertilize with a liquid soluble fertilizer about once a month. To encourage blooming, youse a naturally occurring growth hormone called gibberellic acid. The powder is available at any store that sells agricultural supplies. We've mixed a little bit into an eyedropper. The new growth will come from a flower bud. You pop that off, and add a drop of the gibberellic acid. It causes them to bloom larger and up to three weeks earlier.
Camellias are easy to grow if you keep them healthy and virtually pest-free. And, if you can provide enough light, they're a good choice for indoors.
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