Katie wrote
My mother bought be a camellia to grow in a pot in my previous garden -
the soil was considerably more limey there, and it needed to be on the
steps to be west-facing, which is I think why she suggested a pot. She
has grown them in pots for ages and she knows more than me about
gardening so I just did what she suggested. And the camellia has
sentimental value (apparently when I was born, in February in Devon, my
grandfather brought a camellia flower in to the hospital for her. I'm
38 - in the noughties it flowered in November in London and December in
Lancashire. Hmm.)

In the new house it's also west-facing, although the soil is more acid
here, it's still in a pot, and this summer the leaves started turning
brown (it did flower in the spring), and now they've all dropped off.
I can see a few signs of buds (although maybe it's the eye of faith).
I suspect, having looked it up, that the problem was caused by either
a) underwatering (less likely) b) overwatering (fairly likely) or c)
too much fertiliser (also likely) or possibly d) having nasturtiums in
the pot too, though it's had them before without complaining. It had a
whole year in the same spot without complaining, also, and our water is
again a lot less alkaline than in London, plus it rains more so it gets
more rainwater.

The problem was, she says embarassedly, that it was one of about 4
non-tomato pots at the front of the house, where there were about 8
pots of tomatoes, and I just watered everything the same - incuding
some feed (mainly seaweed but also tomato feed - I did try not to give
tomato feed to the other plants though). This seemed to suit the
hanging basket and the roses, but not the camellia.

So, should I a) give up now and confess to my mother
b) wait till after Christmas and see if it flowers/produces any more
leaves
c) go out and try and find one about the same size and hope she doesn't
notice??!

Personally, if the soil in your new garden is pH7 or below (acid) I would
plant it in the ground and let it do it's own thing. Prepare the hole with
plenty of peat/compost dug in. If the roots are alive and well it will
survive although if it is overwatering etc that has caused the problem it
may well be you have drowned them or even burnt them with the fertilizer.
You will see that when you take it out of it's pot.
Did you leave it with a full water tray for days, sitting in water?

If you do plant it out remember some get big, like small trees in time. They
don't have to be in a West facing spot, or rather, protected from the rising
sun, it's just that helps to stop the flowers being burnt with the sun on
frosty days, the plant won't mind. Three of ours are against an East facing
fence and have been for 30+ years.

Camellias tend to take a long time to show abuse, they can be dying and not
show it until it's too late.

--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London