A favorite of both Lib and Dr. Larry Mellichamp, Director Emeritus of the UNC Charlotte Botanical Garden, this variety sports large pink blooms with some red variegation. Plant it close to the edge of your bed so that passers by can appreciate the sometimes subtle color variation.

One of my favorite white sasanquas, ‘Winter Snowman’ can eventually be trained into an arch over a garden path. It sends out tall, pliable stems that are easily bent.

When I learned that there was an actual ground cover camellia, I just had to have it. Found my first ones at Roundtree Plantation and bought all they had. Love the bloom and the fact that it truly wants to be prostrate.

I initially saw this at Home Depot and noticed it because it was growing straight up with almost no side branching. I was looking for a back corner screen in the Lower Garden and thought this might be the answer. Went on Home Depot’s website to learn more about the plant before purchase only to find NO mention whatsoever. Called their HQ in Atlanta, only to find out they never ordered the plant for any of their stores. Finally, I contacted a grower in Texas who had it and indeed the expected growth habit (tall and narrow) was going to be just what I wanted.

Thirty years ago landscape designer Ann Watkins specified “Chansonette,’ a variety that was wider than tall for a bed in our front yard. We loved the bloom and foliage. Many years later when I wanted to try using Camellia sasanqua as a ground cover, I turned to ‘Chansonette.’ (Didn’t discover ‘Marge Miller’ until much later,) I was able to achieve passable results by pinning branches to the ground and removing branches that insisted to grow vertically.

This beautiful bush with the diminutive white peony shaped bloom is the subject of many false stories as to its origins. The name conjures up images of a disgruntled ex-lover creating one the smallest of all the japonica flowers. However, the true story is: Walter F. Wilson, Jr. wanted to create a boutonniere for men’s formal attire.

People have long asked me what is my favorite camellia. An impossible question to answer, but I would say that if I could only own one, ‘Jacks’ would be it. Never gets too big, beautiful foliage year around, 2-3 months of gorgeous blooms. Especially wonderful for smaller yards.

One of our new favorites, ‘Old Glory’ was a gift from Greg Paige, Curator of the Arboretum at Bartlett Tree Research Lab.

The first variegated Camellia japonica Lib and I planted when we expanded into the Woodland Garden. There are many spectacular multi-color varieties, but being our first, it holds a special place. Huge red and white blooms, no two alike.