What a difference a year makes…….this time last year, the house tank was low, we were short of water for the garden, the bore was running dry, the ground was hard and the grass was brown. This year we have had the best spring rain in over a decade, and now we have great summer rain with 411 mm in February ….with 160 mm on one day, which is now followed up by another 97 mm so far in March. So the ground is plenty wet with the moisture getting right down into the ground…great for the coming Camellia season. Of course, there is a down side with some folks suffering from flooding.
So this year, the Camellias put on growth like crazy, some flowering at the same time….late from last season. Plants are looking good and those that got a helping handful of fertiliser will reward the gardener with some great flowers over the coming months.
The early sasanquas like Mikuni Ko, Sparkling Burgundy, species like Miyagii and Lucii, are flowering now and a few japonicas are showing colour. But the day time temperatures between rain has been in the low 30s and still too hot for any japonica flower to last. This cooler weather … down to low-mid 20s will cool things down.
Although the best time to plant camellias is the cooler months, when the camellia plants are dormant, there are still lots of planting being done in now. We have been having a steady stream of visitors (by appointment) over spring and summer wanting camellias for hedges and screens and individual garden plantings.
Folk are wanting to know when we will be having open days, so, below is a proposed schedule of Open Days for 2018. These are subject to change and we will detail changes via this blog.
We plan to be available most Fridays and Saturdays, unless we have camellia shows or other commitments. We are still open by appointment at other times. Please contact us prior to arrange a mutually convenient time:
email…sales@camelliaglen.com OR phone 07 54450333
Opening hours will be 8.00 am to 3.00 pm
Here’s a list of dates for 2018:
- Saturday 5 May – open
- Friday 11 May – open
- Friday 18 and Saturday 19 May – open
- Friday 25 and Saturday 26 May – open
- Friday 1 and Saturday 2 June – open
- Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 June – open. ALSO Maleny Garden Club ‘Gardening of the Edge’ – open gardens and plant sales
- Friday 15 and Saturday 16 June – open. ALSO Sunshine Coast Agricultural Show 15-17 June
- Friday 22 and Saturday 23 June – CLOSED. See us at the Queensland Camellia Society Show and Sale – Auditorium, Mt Coot-tha Botanical Gardens, Sunday 24 June. ALSO Kellyfield Camellias Open Garden, 958 Kidaman Creek Road, Curramore, Maleny. 9.00 am to 4.00 pm. Display of Reticulata camellias, japonicas and species camellias, sausage sizzle and home made morning and afternoon teas. Entry by donation – supporting ‘Give Me 5 for Kids’. Camellia plant sales.
- Friday 29 and Saturday 30 June – open
- Friday 6 and Saturday 7 July – open
- Friday 13 and Saturday 14 July – CLOSED. See us at Queensland Garden Expo, Showgrounds, Nambour, 13 – 15 July 2018
- Friday 20 and Saturday 21 July – open. ALSO Toowoomba Camellia Show and Garden Expo 21/22 July, TAFE Horticultural Centre, Campbell Street, Toowoomba
- Friday 27 and Saturday 28 July – open
- Friday 3 and Saturday 4 August – open
More as we get closer to the time.
Come visit, walk the gardens, enjoy the 400 or so Camellias in our garden. Buy some for yours.
Walk a forest, walk a garden …….. they say it’s good for you. but we’ve always known that…….
Camellia Japonica Sunnyside
