Camellias

Camellias are to Spring what the roses are to the Summer. They bring the timeless elegance to the garden and what they lack in scent, they make it up with their perfectly shaped flowers. No wonder why it was the emblem of the iconic Coco Chanel. These evergreen (they keep their leaves all year-round) shrubs are fairly easy to grow although there are some rules to respect to guarantee success. Position: Camellias will grow best in partial shade with sun in the afternoon. They will also tolerate full shade for most varieties. The morning sun may burn the buds when they are still wet from the morning dew and damage the flowers to come. A full sun position is not ideal as the glossy, dark green foliage will fade.