Camellias in December and January in Alabama

Most of my Camellias are done now, at least on the smaller bushes. These had fallen to the ground, but still made a lovely picture.

This last one is 'Professor Sargent' and there are quite a few left to open on my 2 bushes. The bushes are quite large though. The thing I note here though, is the earliness of the bloom on all these Camellias. Usually it is February or March before the bloom is really in full gear. But the warmth and moisture of this fall seemed to push them along.

Camellia Professor Sargent

 

When I first planted camellias the deer tried to eat them up. At last I moved my two remaining plants closer to the house and barn and that seemed to work. through the years they just get bigger. the one by the barn is in full bloom now. It looks like a rose, only better.
Camellias prefer acid soil, so the South is a good place to grow them. They are shallow rooted and benefit from mulch until they get large enough to shade their own roots. This is another beautiful winter bloomer. I like to pick single blossoms with short stems and float them in a glass bowl for the dining table. I also have several flower shaped vases that hold them just right to show off.