Camellia Glen’s open to the public days – just a few more for this season – walk the garden – camellia plant sales

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Camellias are in full flower at the moment – particularly japonicas, hybrids and reticulatas. Some say they have flowered early, some that theirs are the best flowers ever. We put it down to great spring and summer rain – but whatever the reason, Camellias are having a great year.
Here are a few that are flowering in our garden now.

Camellia Glen has another 4 planned Fridays and Saturdays where we will be open to the public – 8.00 to 3.00.
7 and 8 August, 14 and 15 August, 21 and 22 August, 28 and 29 August 2020 – Covid-19 rules considered.
We have a great range of great camellias in 140mm pots still available this season.
Come and visit, wander our garden, buy some camellias for yours.

Hybrid Nicky Crisp
Japonica Wilamina

Camellia Glen – Open to the Public – or not!

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UPDATE – our scheduled day to be open – Friday 12 June 2020 – is cancelled. Due to unscheduled but necessary works, we are not available Friday. Although the work will not be completed, we will be available Saturday 13 June – 8.00 to 3.00

The following week – Friday 19 and Saturday 20 – is also cancelled due to unscheduled, but also necessary, surgery.

Our apologies, but somethings just have to happen.

After this, we will revert to the plan – with just one of us available for a while.

Thanks for understanding.

Starting the works……

Camellias – and Garden – Open to the Public

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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

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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

Camellias – Queensland Garden Expo

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This weekend, at Nambour Showgrounds, Friday, Saturday and Sunday 10, 11, and 12 July, Queensland Garden Expo is the premier subtropical gardening event in Australia. About 300 site holders including over 60 nurseries with thousands of plants on sale each day.
We will be there, site #291, with more camellia varieties that can be seen anywhere – except at our nursery.
We will have hundreds of camellias, sasanqua for sunny spots, japonica and hybrids for part shade, and some species. We will not have every variety available, but there will be something for everyone.
We will be open to the public again the following weekends – 18 and 19, 25 and 26 July and 1 and 2 August.
See us at QGE or come to one of our Open Days on the following weeks.
Great time of the year for gardening……especially for camellias.

Camellia japonica 'Clarence Hearn'

Camellia japonica 'Contemplation' - with bees

Camellias, camellias camellias and vireya rhododendrons

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We are well into camellia season – so we are open again this weekend – Saturday and Sunday – 8.00am till 3.00 pm.

We have mostly small pots, 140mm, with plants 30 to 90cm tall. About 200 different varieties – if anything that makes the selection process harder – lots to choose from. But no one complains – they just love the variety – ones you don’t see every day. So come in, walk the garden, pick your favs, and buy yours this weekend.

Sasanquas – the sun camellias – are just about finished flowering, but we are still selling plenty. Singles, semi doubles, whites through pinks to red and some bi-colours. Useful for hedging, screening, specimen plants or just have them in the garden. These evergreens make a wonderful garden plant all year.

But it is the time of the japonicas now – hundreds of flowers out right now. These prefer part shade in this part of the country and love high shade from trees. Again ranging from singles, semi-double, formal double, informal double and elegans form and colours from the purest whites, blush, peachy pinks through to reds and some edging into the purples – if the soil and weather suit. Then there’s striped, variegated, bi-coloured, edged and more.

This is a great time to plant, while the plants are in their winter dormancy.

See the ‘culture notes’ on this web site for more detailed information.

The Queensland Camellia Society has its annual show and sale at the Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens auditorium on Sunday 5 July – there will be bloom displays, information, camellia talks and plants to buy.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday 10, 11 and 12 July is the best sub tropical garden show in the country – Queensland Garden expo, at the Nambour Showgrounds – Sunshine Coast. Too good to miss – and we will be there.

Get into the garden this weekend. Cheers.

Camellia japonica 'Candy Flame'

Open this weekend – camellia nursery – buy direct from the grower

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Open again this weekend – walk the gardens and see the 300 plus camellias, 20 plus magnolias, vireya rhododendron and a few azaleas – then buy one or some or a whole bunch of camellias from the 5000 – approx – available.

We have over 250 different varieties of camellias – sasanquas for the sun, japonicas, hybrids, species for those part shade spots.

We will also be at the Maleny Garden Club ‘Gardening on the Edge’ weekend at the Maleny Showgrounds. Lots of plants for sale including Leonie’s roses and our camellias and lots more. Six local gardens open for garden visits.

This is our first show of the season and we will have a great selection of camellias available. See us at Maleny or at the nursery in Palmwoods.

This is a great time to buy your camellias as the garden is full of camellias in flower. Planting now suits camellias as this is their dormant time – no growth – just flowers. Plant now and let the plants settle in before they start their new growth in Spring.

Camellias must have a well drained, acid soil. When planting, add course sand or fine gravel to heavy soils along with some well composted/matured cow, horse, goat, sheep, alpaca manures. The sandy stuff helps drainage, the manures enrich the soil. Always water in well and mulch to help suppress weeds and to insulate the soil and roots.

Camellias will add great colour to any garden in winter and they also make a great garden plant during the rest of the year with their dark green, glossy leaves.

Great weekend for gardening…cheers

Camellia japonica 'Clarence Hearn'

Camellia sasanqua 'Narumigata'

Camellias for sale – hundreds of them

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Our garden and nursery is open to the public again this weekend – 30 and 31 May 8.00 to 3.00 pm

We have had sasanqua camellias flowering since March and we have had lots of visitors to see them in the garden and to purchase some for theirs. A great time to see these lovely things in full flower. Sasanquas will flower for another couple of weeks at least. If you want to see them, then now’s the time.

And now the japonicas have started to flower – they have been spot flowering for a couple of weeks, but this weekend we have some beautiful flowers out.

Some flowers we picked from the garden this morning.

Camellias and Vireyas – Sale this Weekend

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Camellias and Vireya rhododendrons will be available for sale this weekend – Saturday May 2 and Sunday May 3 from 8.00am till 3.00pm. We have had some rain – 200mm in the last 24 hours so the ground will be wet under foot – but you are still welcome to wander the garden and see the sasanquas in flower and the japonica camellias starting to bloom. There should also be some Vireya rhododendron flowering as well.

Lots of camellias – sasanquas, japonicas and hybrids – and a smaller number of vireyas – something to suit any garden.

All our plants are in 140mm pots and measure between 30 and 80 cm – depending on variety.

Now is a great time to plant your camellias – although they are flowering they are going into their dormant stage – so planting out now allows them to get settled in and develop roots in time for spring growth come September. Buying now means that you can see the flowers first.

Remember, as basic camellia culture, camellias need a well drained and acid soil. Make sure your planting site drains well and raise the soil up a bit to help drainage. Always mulch and water in – even in this weather.

Autumn is here and winter’s on the way – rug up and enjoy your garden.

Find and Like us on Facebook – Camellia Glen Nursery.

Cheers

Camellia japonica - Grape Soda

Nursery Open to the Public Saturday 25 October – and a bit of camellia culture

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What Beautiful weather – all we need now is a week of good soaking rain….Following last weekend’s open days, we will again be open this Saturday 25 October – 8.00 am to 3.00 pm.

We have several hundred camellias – sasanquas, japonicas, hybrids and some species – about 175 different varieties – there is sure to be something that appeals.

All our available plants are in 140mm pots, 9 to 12 months old with well developed roots. Plants are between 20 and 90 cm, depending on the natural development of that particular variety. These plants are putting on their new season growth now and are just itching for a new home. Now is a great time for planting – although last month would have been better – but we covered that in the last blog.

We hope that you will visit if you are needing camellias.

A bit of camellia culture.
We are requested on a regular basis, what is the best camellia camellias for growing in the ‘Brisbane’ area – as an example. Let’s start by saying that all the 40 or 50 varieties of sasanquas that we grow suit local conditions. All sasanquas perform and flower at their best in full sun, although they will take a part shade position with easy. Sasanquas are the autumn flowering ones – starting to flower in March/April – Mikuni-ko starts even earlier – and going through to July for the late flowering ones like Bert Jones. So any sasanqua will suit the Brisbane region and most regions from Maryborough to Hobart and in between. Just remember the basic needs of a well drained, acid soil, and sufficient water to get them established for a start. There are a few sasanquas that give us grief and they include Betsy Baker and Pink Frills (a beautiful flower but a poor shrub). Selection will ofter depend on flower form and height and shape of bush you are after, whether a specimen, a group planting, or planting for a screen or hedge, or for a specific effect like a ‘Japanese’ style garden.

Japonicas are less easy to categorise – but start with the same well drained and acid soil, and part shade. Plant in full sun in this area and the plants will generally struggle to thrive as they are suffering sunburn at a time when the roots are yet to establish sufficiently to support the plant. So, part shade, and we prefer morning shade – especially on the formal double flowers that will burn in the sun – and after all, it is the beautiful flowers we hang out for.

Pick you spot, check the soil, follow the basic rules for planting as we have covered before, water and mulch. Do NOT over fertilise.

Any questions, just ask…

So, get out in the garden this weekend, get some sun – it is said that we are all becoming vitamin D deficient because of our sun aversion – and enjoy spring.

Cheers

Camellia Reticulata - Lady Pamela