Camellias in Macon and Warner Robins

Did you know that our beloved sweet tea comes from the leaves of a camellia?  Specifically the genus camellia sinensis.  The more I learn about gardening, the more I realize how much I don’t know!  It is the season for camellias in Macon and Warner Robins to bloom and I have been planning on installing several different varieties in my own garden.  A lot of people don’t know we have a couple wholesale camellia growers in the Macon and Warner Robins area that have an incredible selection.  One of which grows over 350 varieties!  So I have been putting together a list of some show winning camellias that I want to enjoy.  To me it seems like there are 3 basic species of camellias.  Japonica which has the big glossy leaves and has dense foliage even in shade, sasanqua which has smaller leaves and will do better in sun, and reticulata which has the largest blooms of them all.

 

I love Japonica camellias.  They tolerate shade so well and even do well in dense shade.  Another one of my favorite things about the Japonica’s is they grow slowly and don’t require a lot of pruning.  I have picked out a few varieties that are a must have for my garden.  Sea Foam is a very beautiful variety.  It has large dark glossy leaves and one of the most perfect blooms you have ever seen.  Grape Soda is unique because it is one of the only varieties of camellias that has a lavender bloom.  Like hydrangeas the soil acidity determines how much the bloom will trend toward lavender, and you can apply aluminum sulfate to achieve a darker more profuse bloom color.  Another variety I like which is more of a hybrid than a true Japonica is called “High Fragrance”.  This camellias has a pink peony bloom and like the name implies is highly fragrant.  These camellias in Macon and Warner Robins area do wonderful in our climate

 

Reticulata camellias are very interesting species as well.  I am really excited about planting some of these in my garden.  Though they are not quite as cold hardy as Japonicas, they still do well in our region.  The Reticulatas tend to have the largest bloom of all the species.  These can up to a 7” bloom.  One of the most popular varieties is Frank Houser which was developed by the late Dr Walter Homeyer of Macon.  This variety flowers red and has one of the largest blooms.  Another variety that I like is Valentine which has a large to very large formal double with a rosebud center.  These are the species that are a favorite at flowering shows.  Competitors will often apply Gibberellic acid that will increase the saize of the bloom and can extend the bloom process if new buds are done at weekly intervals

 

Sasanqua is the last notable species.  The advantage to sasanquas is that they thrive in full sun, but also do well in shady conditions.  Most are vigorous growers and typically require more pruning depending on the space you allow for them.  One of my favorite sasanquas is the shishi gashira.  The advantage to

this variety is that it only grows 3-5’ tall and grows slowly.  It is an early bloomer with smaller dark pink flowers.  A couple another notable varieties that are more vigorous growers are Alabama Beauty (3” red peony bloom) and Marie Kirk(perfect pure white multi-petal formal double to rose form double).

 

So hurry up and get some camellias in the ground so you can start enjoying them, but if you cannot do that be sure to visit Massee Lane Gardens and take a look at their camellia collection.  Camellias in Macon and Warner Robins really do flourish.  Don’t miss out on this blooming beauty.  Contact us if you would like to incorporate some into your landscape.  Or if you have problems with your camellias such as scale, contact our sister company Liquid Lawn for a plant health program.

Boxwoods are a southern staple

Boxwoods are a wonderful evergreen that provides that green backdrop year round. And, boxwoods are slow growing, which means less maintenance and pruning. Certain varieties like wintergreen boxwoods (Korean ) are extremely disease and insect resistant. Japanese boxwoods, too, are a very resilient plant. They have a slightly different color than Korean wintergreen variety. Because they are so hearty, that means less worry and hassle for a homeowner.
People don’t think of them as a choice for planters but they can be amazing. Topiary boxwoods love to be well drained and are slow growers. What more could you ask for in a container plant? They can come in spirals, 3-4 ball topiaries, or just columnar. I have one that has been living in a planter for four years. These can add the perfect “wow” factor to the entrance of your home if they are planted in an urn or planter with seasonal color spilling over the edge.

Boxwoods are a versatile plant and provide a perfect backdrop or even front border of a bed. You can plant colorful perennials in front of the them, or you can plant knockout roses or hydrangeas that will bloom above the them from behind the hedge.

Then there are accent plants. Boxwoods can make a statement highlighting a corner or end of a hedge. I love American boxwoods. Yes, they can be finicky, but I think you just have to understand that they are like a hydrangea; they really do not want full sun all day. They need a break. And they really need to have well drained soil (we plant ours on top of the ground and mound soil up to the root ball). It helps to buy your boxwoods locally. If they are imported from Oregon (most are these days), they may go into shock because they are not acclimated to our climate. We buy our American and Wintergreen boxwoods out of North Carolina to avoid this problem. Another reason they are the perfect corner accent is the ease of maintaining them at a certain height. They can reach five to six feet or you can buy them this size, but they are so much easier to maintain than, for example, a Nelly R Stevens holly planted on the corner of house. The holly does not want to be maintained at six or eight feet when its mature height is more than 20 feet.
Why battle a plant’s natural growth tendencies? Plant boxwood.

To learn more about our landscaping service, contact us.

If you are interested in a plant health program, please contact our sister company Liquid Lawn.

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