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Cool greetings from the Magical Garden! Blooming in the shade of our house right now is the most beautiful flower in the whole garden, an exquisite, perfectly formed, pale pink, Camellia japonica. This issue of the newsletter includes: What are
camellias? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Camellias are a member of the tea family. They have lovely evergreen foliage. The leaves are oval, pointed,and dark green - usually slightly glossy. However, it is the beautiful, solitary, rounded flowers that are the plant's best feature. The colors range from pure white, to all shades of pinks, to red. Some are variegated. Camellias start blooming as early as September and continue through April. My personal favorites are all Camellia japonicas. They are upright plants and grow 8-10 feet tall. They like partial shade and are the most hearty of the species. We also have some lovely Camelllia sasanquas. Their leaves are smaller, growth habit bushier. The blooms are abundant but less showy. They are the most sun tolerant of the species. The third type of camellia is the Camellia reticulata. The leaves are large but not glossy. They grow more openly and upright, and are considered a tree. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Camellias are native to China and the lands that border China to the south, east, and west. There they can grow to over 30 feet high with smooth gray trunks more than a foot thick. The ancient Chinese revered the perfect blossoms as sacred and planted them in the secret gardens of the Emperor. In the 1730s, the first camellia was brought to Europe. The first one in North America was brought from England to New Jersey in 1792. Considered stylish, they quickly were propagated throughout the states from northern greenhouses to southern plantations. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Soil - Camellias relish moist,
slightly acid, humus-rich, and well-drained soil. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We have Downspouters! These are little garden sculptures that fit at the end of your rainwater downspout. When it rains, the water passes through looking like a little fountain. We have an owl, a squirrel, and a cute old shoe. More are on their way. We also have a whole new selection of gazing globe stands to go with our more than 45, in stock, styles and colors of gazing globes. Watch this spot for more new items every month. http://www.magicalgarden.com/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Camellia Garden Links: American
Camellia S.ociety International Camellia Society
Cold Hearty Camellias Peninsula Camellia Society Extensive collection of
photos About.com
"Gilding the Winter Landscape" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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The Magical Garden is located outside Atlanta, Georgia. If you have any questions please email us at info@magicalgarden.com. glass
gazing globes - steel gazing globes -
globe stands - downspouters
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