I had always wanted to order from Camellia Forest. How did you like your plant?

Hi. Loretta.

I got three camellias from the Camellia Forest, one april dawn, one snow flurry and one red jude. All are very healthy
plants when I got them, and the same healthy now. However, I am not sure how will they be during the coming winter.

The April Dawn is extreemly buitiful, and the snow flurry is really snow white. I really like them. I did not see the flower of Red Jude yet.

The Camellia Forest is a good mail order nursery, I think.

I bought Snow Flurry in May 2002 from Fairweather Gardens. This year it has some 70+ buds and also started blooming Nov 10. Open flowers are damaged by frost (below 30) but buds are not damaged by temps upto the lower 20s at least. I usually have open flowers until Xmas. This year is the best yet.

I had April Dawn but it bit the dust its first winter. I have been wary since. And I don't have any room right now but I think I'll go over and peruse the Camillia Forest catalog...

What growing conditions do camellias need up here? Half sun, and not to dry out too much? I have heavy soil, and organic matter tends to disappear within a few years.

Any spring bloomers hardy in z6? Though I must say having flowers until Christmas is probably better than having them in April.

How do the deer like them?

There are lot of discussions on the Camellia forum about how to grow camellias on zone 6a,b, or even z5. Main point is to prevent the camellia from sun shine and wind in freezen days so that the plant won't loss water.

That's a huge help - one side of my yard is totally shaded in the winter, by big pines. What about spring sunshine, early March and on? (And yes, I will check out the Camella forum - of course there has to be one.)

They are mostly planted on the south side of the house in a mix of deciduous and evergreen shade. It is sunnier in the winter but filtered sun because there are a lot of trees. I have 9 camellias. They need little care here although I have learned that if you do not water, bud and flower formation is limited but the plant does not appear to be any the worse.

The record low for my zip is -8F

The Snow Flurry opened its first flower today, Oct 25, 2006,
samething about 15 days earlier than last year. I do not know the reason, however I am glad to see taht the plant starts its flowers earlier so that it avoids the cold weather.

The April dawn flowered last spring, but its flowers are not as beautiful as it is in greenhouse, the cold winter werther damaged buds, make the flowers with some yellow spots.

Camellia Forest is a good mailorder source or plants can be picked up at the nursery. I have him ship the plants in containers rather than balled to reduce root disturbance.

A couple of days ago, I saw a few fall camellias left on sale at Fairfield Gardens on Rte 46 in Fairfield. They are a couple of different varieties, not a lot of each, pink and whites, on the side of the building towards the back. $60 at 60% off - that is about $24 each.

The weather is still warm, the Snow Flurry has kept
flowering. More than half of its buds have opened,
which is better than I expected.

So, I think the Ackerman's hardy camellia, such as snow
flurry, could be a good bush in Z6a/b area of NJ, showing
flowers in late fall.

Just add a pic for the snow flurry.

{{gwi:516539}}

Beautiful subtle blush of pink. Great looking flower.