CHARMING CAMELLIAS AN ABUNDANCE OF BLOOMS BRING LIFE TO LATE-WINTER GARDENS.Byline: Story and photos by Pam Waterman Correspondent Before spring brings bursts of color not of the white race; - commonly meaning, esp. in the United States, of negro blood, pure or mixed. See also: Color to the garden, camellias open up their buds to brighten this late-winter season. If you want to add a new camellia camellia (kəmēl`yə) [for G. J. Kamel, a Moravian Jesuit missionary], any plant of the genus Camellia in the tea family, evergreen shrubs or small trees native to Asia but now cultivated extensively in warm climates and in to your yard or simply fertilize your current plants (after they bloom), now is the time. Nurseries are filled with a selection of new varieties. At Nuccio Nursery in Altadena, the growing acreage is alive with color - from the fire-engine red of the nursery's newest variety, Nuccio Bella Rossa, to the elegant pale-pink of Nuccio's Pearl, a formal double camellia bloom. The nursery grows more than 600 camellia varieties. The petals of Bella Rossa (Italian for beautiful rose) are symmetrically arranged in a spiral pattern, sometimes 10 layers thick, creating a superb double formal bloom. On young plants, the flowers are so large they almost hide the foliage. In addition, Bella Rossa has a long blooming season, and sets many buds, even on young plants. These qualities combine to make an extraordinary camellia. So extraordinary that, for the first time, Nuccio Nursery patented its new introduction. Joe and Julius Nuccio began their first camellia nursery in Alhambra back in 1935 when they were teenagers. Following World War II, as housing developers gobbled up nurseries all over Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, , the nursery was relocated to a site in the Altadena foothills. Julius' sons, Tom and Jim, along with Joe's son, Julius, now operate the world-famous nursery. During its years in business, Nuccio's has introduced more than 200 new camellia cultivars to gardeners all over the world. It's here in the Nuccio Altadena growing grounds that thousands of camellia seeds are planted each year. When the seedling plants finally bloom five to 10 years later, most are discarded, having nothing new or special about them. But every now and then, thanks to the bees, a unique beauty turns up in the seedling plot. That's how Bella Rossa was born. Jim Nuccio could immediately tell that they had hit the jackpot with Bella Rossa; it flowered as a young plant with a beautiful rich red color and had a long bloom season. He's certain it will become one of the standard camellia choices in Southland garden collections. The new Nuccio's Bella Rossa is so special that the nursery signed a sharing agreement with Monrovia Nursery and both are now marketing the plant. In the Valley, Nuccio camellias are sold at Steven's Nurseries & Hardware, 12000 Riverside Drive A number of cities around the world have a Riverside Drive. In the United States:
Caring for camellias Most camellias (such as C. japonica japonica (jəpŏn`əkə): see quince; camellia. ) produce better flowers when planted in partial shade and in well-drained soil, while some plants - like Camellia sasanqua Camellia sasanqua is a species of Camellia native to the evergreen coastal forests of southern Japan in Shikoku, Kyūshū and many other minor islands as far south as Okinawa. It is usually found growing up to an altitude of 900 metres. - do better in the sun. Remember not to plant where shade trees with shallow roots will compete with camellias for nutrients and water. Plants in the sun may have leaves that appear yellow rather than deep green. SOIL PREPARATION: Camellias will grow in most well-drained, slightly acidic soil. When planting, most soils benefit from the addition of 2 to 4 inches of organic matter. Peat moss peat moss: see sphagnum. peat moss or sphagnum moss Any of more than 160 species of plants that make up the bryophyte genus Sphagnum, which grow in dense clumps around ponds, in swamps and bogs, on moist, acid cliffs, and on , leaf mold leaf mold, crumbly brown humus typical of forest floors. It is composed of decayed leaves and other plant material mixed with soil. , ground-aged bark, sawdust sawdust used as litter for chickens and bedding for horses. Sawdust made from treated timber may cause pentachlorophenol and other wood preservative poisoning. Fungi growing in sawdust litter in poultry houses may cause poisoning in the birds. or composted steer manure all improve both the drainage and fertility of the soil. PLANTING: Camellias are usually planted in the late fall through the early spring. Adequate moisture is key until the roots become well-established in the soil. Once that happens, the plant will start to grow come springtime. There should be at least 5 feet between plants, preferably more when planting unless planting a hedge, when a distance of 3 feet between plants is recommended. The following steps should be followed when planting a camellia: --Dig a hole at least two feet wider than the root ball. --Leave soil in the center of the hole undisturbed to prevent settling. --Place ball on column of soil. The top of the ball should be slightly above the soil. When planting a container-grown plant, wash away the soil from the root ball with a hose and rough up the root ball, if tight, to allow better penetration into the soil. --Fill the hole around the root ball with a mixture of topsoil and organic matter. --Build a mound of soil around the plant 3 feet in diameter to prevent water from running off. --Mulch with straw or other organic matter around the plant. --Water well after planting and soak once a week during dry weather. WATERING AND MULCHING: The soil should be moist all the time - not soggy. When watering, the soil should be wet to a depth of 14 to 18 inches. Mulching the surface around the camellias keeps the soil cool and moist. FERTILIZING: Camellias should be fertilized fer·til·ize v. fer·til·ized, fer·til·iz·ing, fer·til·iz·es v.tr. 1. To cause the fertilization of (an ovum, for example). 2. in the spring after flowering. Organic fertilizers such as cottonseed meal 1. A meal made from hulled cotton seeds after the oil has been expressed. have been used successfully for years. Commercially prepared inorganic fertilizers (such as 10-10-10) also have worked well. Sprinkle on top of the mulch mulch, any material, usually organic, that is spread on the ground to protect the soil and the roots of plants from the effects of soil crusting, erosion, or freezing; it is also used to retard the growth of weeds. and allow rain or irrigation irrigation, in agriculture, artificial watering of the land. Although used chiefly in regions with annual rainfall of less than 20 in. (51 cm), it is also used in wetter areas to grow certain crops, e.g., rice. to wash into the soil. Source: The American Camellia Society - Jaime Spangrude For a closer look, visit Descanso Gardens Descanso Gardens is a 160-acre botanical garden and historical site located at 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge, California, USA. Situated in a natural “bowl” in the San Rafael Hills, this calming, urban retreat is just 14 miles north of downtown Los Angeles. One of the best ways to choose a new camellia is to visit one of the great camellia gardens in Southern California. Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge has more than 35,000 camellias scattered over a 20-acre forest of oak trees - one of the largest collections in the country. Next weekend, Descanso celebrates its Blooms for Camellia Festival. The Southern California Camellia Council's annual flower show will be held at the gardens and open to the public from 1 to 4 p.m. Feb. 28 and 9 a.m to 4 p.m. Feb. 29. Experts will be on hand to answer questions and share information. Other activities on Feb. 28 include a 12:30 p.m. tour of Descanso's Camellia Forest led by Wayne Walker Wayne Harrison Walker (born September 30, 1936 in Boise, Idaho) is a former professional football player and sports broadcaster. He played outside linebacker for the Detroit Lions for fifteen seasons from 1958-72. Wearing #55, he played in 200 regular season games as a 6'2", 225 lb. , the garden's camellia horticulturist. At 2 p.m., award-winning grower Sergio Bracci will discuss camellia culture and care. Walker will also conduct a noon tour on Feb. 29. At 2 p.m. award-winning grower Mel Belcher will demonstrate how to prune prune, popular name for a dried plum. Fruits of the many varieties of Prunus domestica, which are firm-fleshed and dry easily without removal of the stone, are gathered after falling from the tree, dipped in lye solution to prevent fermentation, dried in the a camellia. Descanso Gardens is located at 1418 Descanso Drive, near the interchange of the 2 and 210 freeways. Admission fees are $6 for adults, $4 for seniors and students, and $1.50 for children 5 to 12. Children under 5 are free. Parking is free. For more information, call (818) 949-4200 or visit www.DescansoGardens.org. CAPTION(S): 5 photos, 2 boxes Photo: (1 -- cover -- color) On the cover: The petals of Nuccio's Bella Rossa, a double formal bloom, are symmetrically arranged in a spiral pattern, sometimes 10 layers thick. (2 -- color) Above: Yellow camellia 'Nitidissima' (3 -- color) Camellias on display at Nuccio Nursery in Altadena. (4 -- color) Left: Camellia japonica 'Covina' is a good choice for sunny locations. (5 -- color) Above: Camellia reticulata Camellia reticulata (syn. C. heterophylla[1]) is a species of Camellia native to southwestern China, in Yunnan Province. The wild populations are restricted to mixed mountain forest in western and central Yunnan[2]. 'Buddha' at Nuccio's. Photographs by Pam Waterman Box: (1) Caring for camellias (see text) (2) For a closer look, visit Descanso Gardens (see text) |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion