| We have a sasanqua camellia that is maybe 25 years old and tree-sized now. It was mislabeled as 'Hiryu' when bought from a big box store, but clearly isn't that. I'm fairly certain that it's 'Hugh Evans' as there's a perfectly matched picture for it, complete with some twisting of the flower petals, in Jennifer Trehane's book. Last year this one began blooming in late September and bloomed some even through December. I cut some branches several times in December and early January, figuring on just keeping it until the few remaining blooms lost their petals (which took about a week for a freshly cut bloom!)... but then I noticed that the small buds that had shown no color when first cut had been swelling quite quickly... and a few days later they started blooming too. On the last branch cut in January, there were no open blooms and nothing but the tiniest bloom buds; I was cutting the branches for their greenery only. I know this is hard to believe, but some of its tiny, tiny buds developed just fine in our kitchen, and within about ten days we started having blooms from those "greenery" branches--in January! Some of the buds that ended up opening as flowers were so small when the branches were first cut that I hadn't even been aware they were bloom buds at all. The first few years this camellia was planted I thought it was no great shakes... and then as it began to mature, the weeping quality of its branches got to me. It's a lovely plant overall and a fragrant one too; I'm glad we have it! I could scarcely cook supper last year for pausing to sniff it in its vase by the kitchen sink. Its blooms don't compete well with japonicas, but can pass for a Japanese still life once they're nicely arranged in a vase. Anyway, don't buy this one for the showy perfection of its blooms, but for the overall beauty of the plant in the landscape. (And if you are tempted to not keep it the first few years, as I was, well, just wait a few more years before deciding. If you like the form of weeping willow trees, you're very likely to end up really liking Hugh Evans, with its gorgeous weeping evergreen foliage and a bonus of tons of noticeably bright flowers.) Considering that it's a camellia, it's a relatively fast grower. (It has been tree-sized for about the last ten years or so.) Hugh Evens began blooming a bit later this year, probably because it wasn't adequately watered during our 5-6 weeks without any rain at all. As soon as we got rain, it started blooming promptly (around October 2, I think). Shishigashira bloomed last year starting in September, but hasn't quite opened this year yet either--probably due to the drought and also the fact that the plant was just relocated in March. Lovely low Shishigashira is covered with buds, though, and in its new location in front of the Hugh Evans, it will be very noticeable. No pictures, but perhaps this year I'll actually get around to taking some? Oh, Bonanza... a hiemalis, is new here (not yet planted) and started blooming on October 6. The blooms actually do look as large and beautiful as their pictures. The foliage is really nice too. Isn't this a great time of the year! Best wishes,
Mary |
