Camellia in flower

I can't claim that I've had much luck with the single camellia plant in my garden. And no wonder. Judging by the information I read after acquiring the plant in my local nursery, camellias are a tad demanding. They are a slow grower, a host of pests love them, they need to be pruned a little after flowering. Not that I ever did that in the four years I had it - it seems so small anyway... Which might be why so many leaves of my camellia tend to turn yellow, causing me heart ache when I have to tear them off.

Then there is some delicate operation (called gibbing) that you are supposed to do to the buds if you suspect that they will not flower. I never did them, naturally, and witnessed a season or two without any of those beautiful, large blooms.

But this July my camellia did not disappoint me. It developed some lovely - alas, all to short lived! - flowers. What a sight in an otherwise rather drab winter garden!