The trick to stop cranky camellias sulking in the Sydney shade

“I was drawn to the simple ones,” she says, “the traditional Japanese ‘Higo’ varieties associated with the samurai, who grew them in their gardens.”

She picks one to show me, ‘Tama-no-ura’. It really does look straight out of a scroll painting. Its six vivid red petals are edged in white and arranged around a strong columnar boss of yellow-tipped stamens.

Having later gone through a period of adoring the formal double style of bloom that Coco
Chanel made famous, Carolyn is currently drawn to the deep dark red, almost black miniatures,
like “Black Opal”.

The trick to growing camellias, she says, is finding the right position. “They are very cranky; some of them like to hide in the shade; others like the sun.”

She advises paying attention to what’s on the label and says if the plant appears to be sulking, move it.

She gardens on dense clay, which gives her an advantage in producing good strong dark reds, even a purple, but whatever the conditions, fertilising is key. She uses Neutrog’s Kahuna in early spring, and Seamungus in autumn.

The Low’s won a first prize with a “Tama-no-ura” at the Society’s May show and are confident there would have been more winners on today’s tables.

To find out more about the Society’s monthly meetings check NSW Camellia Research Society Facebook page, and plan to see the annual show in 2022.