Thursdays favourite plant

Camellia Margaret Davis



Now I'm not the biggest fan of camellias, I appreciate the fact that they are evergreen and provide good structure in the garden and I love them for their gorgeous flowers in spring. But there is something about them I don't like, maybe its the glossy leaves and frou-frou flowers that I don't like together, or how I often see them dotted in the middle of gardens looking like an old maid in her Sunday best at a party no one else has turned up for. (she says even though she has 3 lipstick pink ones in her garden).

I think planted right they can look stunning, on big estates mixed in with Rhododendrons and azaleas and allowed to be more than just a colourful dot.

However all that aside I love Margaret Davis.
I love the flowers. Everyone looks slightly different like a white powder puff dipped in rouge. They make me think of Alice in wonderland when the white roses were being painted for the queen of hearts.

Camellias must have acidic soil to thrive otherwise you'll just end up with a sad, sick-looking, yellow leaved, spindly plant. They grow really well in containers but remember to regularly feed them with an ericaous feed. Don't plant them where the morning sun can scorch the flowers, very bad if they've been frosted the night before. Watch out for some of the white flowered ones that have huge full peony type blooms, a very wet spring and/or bright morning sun can turn the half opened flowers to brown balls of mush.

In other non plant related news, I think one of my wee silkies (who are 12 weeks old now)tried to let out a crow this mornning, Damn it I knew they'd turn out to be fellas.

Jess x

P.S aha I finally found the charger for my batteries today soon expect lots of chickeny photos soon.