Tim Carter has worked in horticulture for 45 years, and when he develops a passion for a particular’ plant group, he goes all out. He has many different specialist collections at Long House Plants – the nursery and garden he has run on his wife Jeans family farm near Romford in Essex since 2006 – but at this time of year, it is the camellia collection that captures his attention. “I love everything about them and couldn't possibly pick out just one favourite,” he says. “I value them all for their versatility. The fact that there is such a wide range of colours, shapes and forms is very appealing to me.” He has also been delighted by how well they do on his Essex clay. “They thrive in this area despite it being such a dry part of the UK.”
One point he is at pains to make is that he finds camellias a lot easier than people give them credit for. “OK, so they do need an
