snip

I hope you are keeping the plant well watered and have fed it since
being given it. They set their flower buds in late summer and early
autumn for flowering next year. Dry roots, as often happens with
camellias in pots in a dry summer, will cause the buds to abort or
even not form at all, resulting in few or no flowers next year. A feed
with a high-potash fertiliser (e.g. tomato feed) about now and in a
month's time will encourage flower buds, and water it well with soft
water at least weekly. If you don't have soft water (from a butt, for
example), tap water with a teaspoon of vinegar per 2 gallon watering
can is the next best thing.

Chris, thank you for all that information

I have kept the mother plant watered and will feed it right away, the
broken branches were put into water and it does sound rather unlikely
that they will root but it is well worth a try

thanks again

kate