On 2013-10-25 10:15:44 +0100, Jeff Layman said:

On 25/10/2013 09:46, Sacha wrote:
On 2013-10-25 08:47:41 +0100, Jeff Layman said:

Went there yesterday. As you said, nice people and quality plants.
Thanks for the tip.

Couldn't resist the BOGOF on sasanquas - bought the variegata and
"Crimson King".

Not sure about them being "scented" though. It's not the term I would
use for for what is a most peculiar smell, although it is not strong.
The nearest I could describe it is as being like that which comes from
an old bruised apple, where the smell and flavour of the bruising taint
permeates the rest of the fruit.

Never mind, the flowers look great at this time of year!

I'm glad you enjoyed your visit there. I'd love her to come to this
garden and id some of the old varieties we have here but she was down
this way two years ago and I don't think she has any plans to give
talks near here.
I don't think any of the scented ones are very strong but they aren't
as you describe to my nose, at any rate! Perhaps it's that thing about
some people smelling cats' pee from Choisya and others not getting that
at all! I was looking at our Camellias yesterday and they're all
forming nice flower buds, which is a nice promise of things to come as
we progress towards winter.

Yes, taste and smell are frequently genetically determined, but even
then things may not be as straightforward as they appear at first sight:
http://udel.edu/~mcdonald/mythptc.html
(I can remember doing the PTC dilution test at Uni. I am a definite "taster".)

I made a mistake about the other camellia - I just checked what we had
bought. We looked at "Crimson King", but eventually decided on C.
hiemalis "Bonanza", as the double flower had a little more going for
it. Now all I've got to do is find a suitable "hot spot" in the
garden for them!

I don't know Bonanza so I looked it up - what a beauty! My ex pa in law
grew Clematis up and through some of his Camellias and as long as it's
not a variety that's too thuggish, it looks spectacular and adds
interest once the Camellia has stopped flowering. He liked Camellias a
lot but there's a danger of people in Devon & Cornwall getting
over-Camelliaed! I've always wanted to copy his Camellia Walk though
which looks spectacular when in flower - sadly it takes rather more
space than we have and it is definitely made more interesting by being
on a very steep slope, imo. Unfortunately this pic was taken in
November so little was happening then. But at the very bottom, Istr he
had Clematis Madame le Coultre growing through one of the shrubs but
that's the only one I can remember now.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/93694401@N03/10473017854/
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk