Looks like you need a plan!

Wow! Can you have camelias up here. That would be heaven for a southern transplant like myself. Thought they would freeze too easily (?)

Saw it and saved it. Well I ran it to a friend of mine who's an L.A.

While it may be a "push" in planting some of these, it may be worth a try, though a harsh winter will more than likely 'do them in' even if they're in the most favored and protected spot in your garden.

Noting ventured, nothing gained.

tgw, there are some hardy ones - a 'Winter' series which blooms late fall, and an 'April' series which blooms in spring - both hardy to z6 but the April ones could have their buds frozen off.

Up north they're supposed to be put near the house and protected from winter sun.

Welcome to NJ.

Lisa

Would love to try one camellia, Lisa, but the only shady area is to the back of yard close to a fence. We have a good deal of sun, so limited. Has anyone been to Fairweather Gardens; to my knowledge, they sell many winter camellias? If you have, were you happy with their varieties and do they grow well in NJ?

A lot of people on this forum got their camillias there. They have a lot of the hardy types and they are a decent size. It varies. This year, they are offering a lot of tubes at reduced prices. They seem to have gone mainstream though. You will see some at the nurseries now for about the same price as Fairweather. However, Fairweather carries a lot of choices.
Since you are in zone 7, I wouldn't hesitate to try it.

I have 9 camellias and will add 4 more this Spring. All but one are doing really well. The early Spring bloomers can start as early as Dec and the Fall bloomers may continue until Dec. Normally however they are unlikely to flower much between mid Dec and mid March. Their foliage is the best of any broadleaf evergreens (in my opinion).

pontesmanny

I have about 25 varieties outdoors, with varying results. I normally get some good flowering October-November and April-May. Camellia oleifera is a fall bloomer hardy to 6-a at least.