The right care for camellias

THE first camellia plant probably arrived in Britain from China in around 1739. By 1824, 15 varieties were known, and by 1860, there were more than 600. But these were almost exclusively grown in the greenhouses and conservatories of the gentry and nobility – despite one plant known at the time to be growing outside in Yorkshire for 30 years.

At first, it seems, because the flowers were often frosted when grown outside in an unsuitable position, they were grown under cover. Now, we know that what damages the flowers is not