Winter Gardening in the South

Camellias are the royalty of the southern garden. They stand majestic, clothed in rich green and glossy leaves all summer, but then burst into bloom in winter.  Known as the winter Rose of the south, the blooms take on exotic almost origami like forms. Camellias come in a variety of wonderful colors ranging from snow white to deep red. By choosing a variety of these gorgeous plants it is possible to have Camellias in bloom from fall to early spring, bringing an ever changing kaleidoscope of lavishness. Grown in both gardens and containers, the plants have certain requirements like partial shade, soils rich in organic matter, and that are slightly acidic, but  as long as those needs are met, they are not hard to grow.  In fact, they are known to live for decades, even getting better as they age like a true “southern belle.”