Gardening blogLife and style This article is more than 14 years oldCamellia japonica 'Ave Maria': The perils of pink perfection
This article is more than 14 years oldI first saw this camellia in a garden centre last spring - an enormous six-foot specimen, trailing loosely over an arch with overblown blowsy flowers in a romantic mess. I was mesmerised by it but then saw the £150 price tag. It took a bit of searching to find a younger, more affordable plant but Ashwood nurseries (01384 401996), which specialises in camellias, came up trumps and I planted it in my garden last summer.
Here is the flowering result, still in its under-done youth, and looking a little too Barbara Cartland for my liking. But it's only in its first year. I think (I hope) that with age, this plant will lose some of its pink perfection and become more louche and rose-like, creeping up the bare spring branches of my acer.
Ashwood Nurseries was a real find though - these people are plant obsessives. Their camellia arrived in peak perfection and they gave lots of helpful advice over the phone. At the time of writing, they didn't have another Camellia japonica 'Ave Maria' but they do have a host of others, plus an array of hydrangeas, hellebores, anemones and hepaticas. Its owner, John Massey (a hepatica obsessive) was featured on Carole Klein's riveting Gardeners' World special on plant addicts on Friday night. Well worth checking out Ashwood's website.
You've seen mine - now let's see yours! Share pictures of your favourite camellias on our brand new gardening blog Flickr group.
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