Camellias – and Garden – Open to the Public

It’s getting cooler and the camellias are flowering. What a great time of the year for the camellia fancier. Sasanquas have been flowering for a few weeks now with some still to come – and the early japonicas are showing lots of blooms.

Our ‘open days’ are not fancy affairs – it just means that folk can visit and see the camellias – and the magnolias and Vireya rhododendron and azaleas and others things – in flower. You can wander our garden and perhaps buy some for yours.

We do have arguably the largest range of camellias around here but we often do not have large numbers of the 200 or so different varieties that we have available. We don’t grow every variety in the gallery every season. The ‘early birds’ get the pick of the camellias. Our open days as listed in our February 2020 post are still current. All the shows listed are cancelled except for the Queensland Garden Expo which has been postponed until September – so we will be open here those days instead. As usual, the health controls are in play and we ask people to be patient. We do not usually get more than a couple of visitors at a time which suits us nicely.

We have spent some time over the past weeks fertilising our garden camellias with an organic fertiliser, horse manure and mulch. I know we say that fertilising should be done well before now – but well, if you haven’t done it when you should have, then now is the next best time. We have regularly followed this regime with good results. Now for some rain ….. please.

Come and visit, our 400 garden camellias are looking great. We are open Friday and Saturday 15 and 16 May – and for the next few. Other times, please just give us a call.

Happy gardening – and stay safe.

Japonica Kick Off – an early one

Open Days 24 and 25 October

We are open to the public this weekend – Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October – 8.00am to 3.00pm.
This will be the last open day for this season….after this, we will be available by appointment as usual.
We will have a bunch of camellias available – sasanquas for the sunny parts of the garden – a few hundred in 140mm pots and a nice collection in 200mm pots. We are selling out of some varieties – but that’s the objective. Japonicas – for the semi shade spots, at least part shade – we have a thousand or so across more than a hundred varieties. Most are in 140mm pots, but again we have a small number in 200mm pots. We have some hybrids and a few species well.

We need to make some room for new season plants, so drop by and pick up some of the best camellias we have grown.

Camellia japonica Royal Velvet – one of the best garden camellias

This is a great time to plant, there is new growth showing and getting plants now to either pot up or plant out will result in some amazing growth over the next few weeks. For those who planned, yes, a month or so ago was a better time to plant – before the new growth started, but if you are careful, there will be little damage to the tender new shoots and leaves.

When you are planting out, remember to tickle the roots out so that the new roots will not continue to grow in the curled shape of the pot. This helps make a healthier plant in the long term. A light application of fertiliser now, added to the backfill, will give the plants a good run into spring and summer. Water in well – and that means a slow half a bucket worth of water to get moisture right down into the soil. Mulching now will suppress weeds as well as keep the root area cool and reduce evaporation.

Look out for little caterpillars and aphids in the new foliage. Squish the grubs and you can hose off aphids.

Camellias will make a great addition to any garden, as a specimen plant, a forest or a hedge. Come in and see us, and we can advise you on what might suit your site best.

Get out into the garden – its good for the soul.

Sasanqua Barrys Chance - for the full sun


Brisbane International Garden Show

Set up ready to go

BIGS starts Thursday 8 October and runs through to Sunday 11. It is all set up and ready to run….almost. It will be the biggest gardening event to hit Brisbane and should be a lot of fun.
Although camellias have all but finished flowering, we will still have plenty on display and for sale. Now is a great time to plant as plants are just putting on their new growth.

Plant for that specimen plant in the garden, plant for group plantings, hedges and screens. We probable still have more varieties than most people have seen….drop by and see us at BIGS.


Open to the Public, camellias, vireyas

Our open days will be on again for the next two weekends;

  • Saturday 14 May and Sunday 15 May – 8.00 am to 3.00 pm
  • Saturday 21 May and Sunday 22 May – 8.00 am to 3.00 pm

Please be aware that we do not offer EFTPOS – cash only please.

The following Sunday 29 May, we will be at the Glasshouse Sustainability Expo at Beerwah – see us there.

Half Aspasia Macarthur, half Margaret Davis


Nursery open to the public

The nursery will be open this weekend – 8.00am – 3.00pm. come and visit, walk the gardens. Plants will be available for sale – probably the largest number of varieties in Queensland. PS If you like this site, tell your neighbours, your friends and family, tell your garden club. Visitors are welcome on our open days.