Hi Connie,

I am not familiar with Buttons n Bows. A new to me Camellia that I highly recommend to my rose loving friend is Winter's Rose. It is a dwarf camellia with lovely light pink flowers. It has been covered with flowers for the last few weeks. Winter Snowman is one that grows very upright for me. It blooms for about six weeks in November and December. I visited Camellia Forest in NC for their annual open house last year and picked up several that are doing well. They have a large selection of cold hardy plants. One that they highly recommended for cold hardiness is Gov. Mouton.

I will have to check out Little Five Azalea Farm. There is also a couple who sell camellias at the Gordon Road Farmer's Market on Rt 3.

Kathy

Here is a link that might be useful: Winter's rose

Hi Connie,

'Buttons N Bows' is a gorgeous Camellia hybrid. My plants are very compact and have the most beautiful formal double flowers on them. I live in Southeast Georgia, so cold hardiness is not an issue. I would love to hear back as to how it does in your area. The image below is 'Buttons N Bows'.

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Holy smokes that is a pretty camellia!

Kathy, is the guy at the Chancellor Farmer's Market the guy from Warrenton? Monty ... something.

I second Kathy's "Holy Smokes!" It's cool when an impulse purchase like this turns out to be such a winner ... I bought Buttons n Bows because the habit of the bush itself is perfect, with no idea what the flowers look like. Got lots of buds, tho.

When you say 'compact', what does that mean in camellia language? I have a feeling I'm going to have to put them somewhere other than I have planned ... I need about 6 to 8 feet for this spot.

Connie

Connie, when I say compact, I mean that the plant is fairly dense and slow growing. It may one day reach the 6-8 feet height that you need, but it will take a good many years to do so. 'Buttons N Bows' would work great in an area where you need a plant that can easily be maintained at 3-4 feet.

For the location where you would need a 6-7 foot plant, consider a plant of 'Egao' if it is available in your area. It is 1/2 C. sasanqua & 1/2 C. japonica. It make a lovely large plant. The image below is of 'Egao'.

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I am seeing the 'Buttons N Bows' for the first time, and even that I am not so much in love for formal flowers, here you convinced me! What a wonderful picture!! And this camellia is cold hardy?? I am dreaming ....

tamararly

Monty, yeah that is his name. I could not think of it. I saw him in early spring at the Gordon Road Market and he said that they were trying that market because the dogs at the Warrenton Market were urinating on his shrubs and killing them. I stuck with the Culpeper market for most of the season so I do not know if he went back to Warrenton or not.

If you want, I will share cuttings of my camellias with you. I have not had much luck rooting them, but with your green thumb you could make a stone take root!

Kathy