Camellia 'Water Lily'

[davidk]

I'm quite chuffed with this camellia I have in bloom at the mo.
Standing at about 10ft tall, it's quite a specimen.

[Ladygardener]

Rightly so David, it's lovely.

[Rosefriend]

Mar 17, 2011 21:12:40 GMT @davidk said:

I'm quite chuffed with this camellia I have in bloom at the mo.
Standing at about 10ft tall, it's quite a specimen.

Beautiful David...really really lovely.



RF

[davidk]

Thanks folks, though I didn't consider it good enough for POTM nominations.

I must be truly honest, and say that judging by the concrete post in the background (which is 6ft tall) that my camellia is probably more like 8ft + tall, not 10ft.

But did you ever see so many blooms on a camellia??? i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/GWDAdmin1/Smilies/Default/smiley.gif

[Jasmine]

Mar 17, 2011 21:12:40 GMT @davidk said:

I'm quite chuffed with this camellia I have in bloom at the mo.
Standing at about 10ft tall, it's quite a specimen.

That's gorgeous David.

[Rosefriend]

Mar 18, 2011 9:21:08 GMT @davidk said:

Thanks folks, though I didn't consider it good enough for POTM nominations.

I must be truly honest, and say that judging by the concrete post in the background (which is 6ft tall) that my camellia is probably more like 8ft + tall, not 10ft.

But did you ever see so many blooms on a camellia???

It was actually the amount of blooms on it that made me give it a Nom David....the few that I have seen around here certainly do not have that amount, although they are only just starting to flower here.

Does it have a name and how many years have you had it David??

RF

[davidk]

<Does it have a name and how many years have you had it David??

RF>

Name? 'Water Lily', I planted in the open ground as a tiny pot plant about 20 years ago.

Btw, don't you think the flower form resembles a water lily?

[Rosefriend]

Lovely - yes I do think it looks like a water lily and that is why I wrongly assumed that you had given it it's name...marvellous...a real gem.

Don't suppose you know the minus temps that it can take do you...no point in me having a look around if it can't do at least minus 15 and minus 20 would be better.

RF

[davidk]

Mar 18, 2011 10:45:19 GMT Rosefriend said:

Lovely - yes I do think it looks like a water lily and that is why I wrongly assumed that you had given it it's name...marvellous...a real gem.

Don't suppose you know the minus temps that it can take do you...no point in me having a look around if it can't do at least minus 15 and minus 20 would be better.

RF

Now there's a question, RF. I live in the UK Midlands so I would think that about -12c is the most it has ever had to tolerate.
It probably does help that mine is in a shady spot and it works wonders if (I don't, or need to) you add a good mulch.

It's the roots that get damaged rather than the leaves.

[Rosefriend]

I do know there are some wild and wonderful Camellia's these days that can do even minus25 and I am really tempted to ditch one of my beloved roses (still thinking though) and buy a Camellia. However I have heard so many stories about leaves going black, being scorched by the wind and we get it from Russia - bitingly cold...

Now you say the roots....mmmh - I think this is one that has to be thought out carefully but I must admit to having taken rather a fancy to your "Water Lily".

RF

[davidk]

RF - Regarding the amount of flowers on this camellia, I thought you may like to see this pic taken from my bedroom window. Being a little further away, it gives a better idea of just how many.

[Rosefriend]

It does give a better idea of the size and the amount of blooms is staggering really....apart from in GH's etc I have never seen a Camellia so big and with so many flowers on it...really wonderful.

I really do wonder whether one would grow to those proportions here. The only secluded place would be the terrace and then it would have to be in a tub. Last winter we had 3 months of snow and it was bitterly cold for a long period....I lost so many things, even with the warming blanket of the snow. It would be awful to keep one for a few years and then a particularly bad winter kill it...

Mmmh decisions, decisions...

RF

[davidk]

I'm tempted to use the old cliché 'size doesn't matter' but I rather think that this variety would need to be in the open ground to achieve similar results.

I have seen it grown in pots, but it doesn't achieve anything like the same dimensions....still nice though!

You mention snow; this is what happened last year. After the snow had melted the flowers were ruined.

[Rosefriend]

Yes I doubt that anything in a pot would get to that size...certainly no normal pot.

I think this would be a very big problem - yes I can wrap it in fleece, cover the roots and and and - I do it to other plants in the garden but it would of course flower basically at a time when we could still have heavy snow or we could get another load of it. Last year we had snow until the end of March...

I did wonder if a Camellia would be ok in a tub at the back of the garden in the summer - (my garden is pure South with no shade whatsoever) as I could place it so that the shed would give it a touch of shade for an hour or two and then put it the GH, wrapped up and hope I could perhaps draw out the flowering time until around now.

As you can see, gardening on this side of the water isn't so easy and I often have to go without something that I would like for the simple reason that the work involved looking after some things just isn't sensible.

A friend of mine has two Camellias in her garden - she lost one last year and bought another - I have to say that both look a bit worse for wear at the moment and both just have one flower. The leaves have been very badly burned with the Easterly wind as well.

I think I will have a word at my favourite GC and see what he thinks - they are certainly not cheap to buy either but I really have fallen in love then yours.

RF