"Sacha" wrote in message
.uk...
On 14/11/05 23:23, in article
, "Sacha"
wrote:

On 14/11/05 23:10, in article
, "Ian Keeling"
wrote:
Hi,
Talk about this year being odd. we have a cammelia just bursting into
flower
lovely red.

snip

I wrote this bit!

Doesn't it usually do that? I ask because Camellia sasanquas are in
flower
now. One we have in the garden has been in flower for a month, at
least.
I'll have to go and look at its label tomorrow because I'm not going
out
there in the pitch dark and cold! And Camellia sasanqua Narumi Gata
is
coming into flower now in another bed.

Oh, go on! Get your torch out - we can't wait till morning! ;-)

It'll do you good. And much more to the point it will do *me* good!!
It
begins with a 'T', though - just to keep you occupied! ;-)

I was wrong, it's not a sasanqua, it's a japonica, one of those which
flowers early, so it had me fooled. It's 'Takahini' and shows every
promise
of being a really marvellous plant. Ours is a real baby, probably no more
than 2' tall but it's covered in buds and the flowers are a wonderful deep
plummy red - rather unusual in Camellias. It was bred in Auckland, New
Zealand and I think we got ours from Trehane Nursery in Cornwall - it's
not
all that easy to find in UK.
We also have a 'fishtail Camellia, Camellia japonica 'Kingyo-Tsubaki',
which
has a most interesting leaf which is split and slightly twisted at the
tip.
These came from Agatha Christie's old garden at Greenway and were given to
us by a cousin of her husband. It's only the more discerning observer
that
notices those but they come and ask us "is that Camellia okay?" quite
often!
I have an ongoing love affair with Camellias which started when I became
more interested in gardening. My ex f-i-l had a wonderful Camellia avenue
in his Jersey garden and more of them lining a drive to the house. I think
they captured my heart the first time I saw that, way back in the mid 70s.
He was very involved with the International Camellia Society so it was
probably a case of subtle brainwashing! Grow more, grow more!
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)
Just been to Greenway to pick up a Lapageria and was allowed around the
garden which is closed at this time of year, slow progress but it is coming
on, most Camelia's were in heavy bud but some of the Autumn sorts were in
flower and of course scented, always a bonus. Too tender for us here I
think.
Did not try and fit in a visit to Hill House I am afraid too much on, I had
a talk to do on the way home, but it was a lovely sunny day.
--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)