Hello, EGO45. Here are some comments or answers in no particular order...

Dr. William Ackerman's Winter Series of hybrids should reach an ultimate height of 5-7 feet.

As for the planting time, Camellias are generally planted in late fall through early spring in the South, although you can plant them any month of the year as long as they are properly cared for and the ground has not frozen.

I am not sure how your summers are but, I would defer planting until cooler Fall temps arrive since I tend to have limited success here from June until September.

However, I would feed them some cottonseed meal monthly (1/4 cup for yours?) starting now (in the Spring next year) but switch to bone meal in the Fall or to some pottasium rich meals. Some people switch to meals low in nitrogen & high in pottasium but I just let them get a break after September. Translation: it's starting to get cold and I do not want to be outside! Because of your weather, I would stop nitrogen rich meals around July/August, use bone meals one or two months and then quit.

Adequate moisture is a necessity until the roots become well established. And it is critical during summer as the flower buds form then.

And do not forget to water during dry winters. I lost one this year because I did not water it thru the drought we had. In "your" northern climates, consider adding some protection from drying winter winds and extreme cold.

I have other varieties of camellias growing in the front/north side of my house. Those get no direct sun but they still bloom very well because the area is very bright.

I have not potted camellias so I cannot offer comments about that.

Good luck and success with your new plant!
Luis

This is a great time for the planting of containerized plants in CT, and almost anywhere else. Go for it. But, if you keep your plant in a container you will absolutely have to offer it winter protection in your area. Plants are much much less hardy when grown in containers.

BTW, if you get it in the ground now and plant it PROPERLY (meaning not too deeply, and not in a pool of organic matter), it will have the entire growing season to develop a good root system before entering the fall hardening off period. It is very important that you fertilize VERY conservatively (especially with nitrogen) this first year and never apply N past August in your climate. Plants can't begin to harden off if they are still being forced to grow because of the nitrogen burden.

I'd be very careful with the bone meal if you were considering going that way. It is loaded with calcium and can tie up the iron in the soil. Iron is one of the micronutrients that acid loving plants require in large amounts. I would consider bone meal a no no. Also, it really shouldn't be applied any more than once every year to three years, as it lasts for many months in the soil after one application.

Whatever you fertilize your other 'acid loving' plants with should be fine for your camellia. Just be VERY conservative. Truly, that should be the rule with nearly all woody plants.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:510700}}

Luis and rhizo, thank you both.
I do have some experience with broadleaf evergreens (Kalmias, Pierises, Azaleas and Rhododendrons, Skimmias, Cherry laurels) to the extend of having over 100 of them around my yard.
So, basicly I know the drill.
My major concern is about sun/shade requirements, especially in the winter.
In my particular setting, Eastern exposure is not desirable due to serious sunburn many plants incured during their first winter in a ground. Southern and Western exposures are not good for the obvious reasons, so I'm left with the NE or NW only and both of such locations while well protected in a winter from the sun and winds may not provide adequate summer sun for buds forming. How much sun it really need to bloom?
BTW, are fall blooming camellias bloom from current or from last year formed buds?