In the one-acre garden of Mrs. G. C. Shackelford at Columbus, Georgia, there are over 150 camellias that have been collected and cared for over the years. Some older plants are 6’ to 7’ feet tall and as much as 6’ feet through.
They are planted along Mrs. Shackelford’s property’s boundaries and balanced along the walks to make backgrounds for the smaller flowering shrubs, perennials, and annuals.
Mrs. Shackelford’s Ordering And Planting Practices
At first, Mrs. Shackelford bought varieties grown on their roots, but more recently, she has been purchasing grafted plants and usually adds a few inure to her collection each year.
When ordering plants, Mrs. Shackelford cautions, be sure to buy from a reliable firm, and, when it comes to planting, “don’t plant a $10.00 plant in a 50-cent hole!
Dig a hole at least 4” or 5” inches larger than the ball of soil on the plant. Make the hole about two-thirds as deep as the ball.” Mrs. Shackelford’s planting instructions continue:
“With the hole dug, place a layer of peat moss at the bottom, then set the plant so that one-third of the hall is above ground level. Remove the burlap from the ball mid-fill in the space with a mixture of one-half peat-moss and one-half good soil. After planting, soak the soil well.”
Mrs. Shackelford uses Reliance fertilizer, which is made especially for camellias, azaleas, and rhododendrons, and also applies aluminum sulfate to maintain acidity.
In addition, she advises mulching with leaves or pine straw. It’s crucial, she says, that the graft is above the ground level so he sure the soil does not get too high around the plant.
Mrs. Shackelford has found that fall is the best time to fertilize camellias since the winger rains wash the fertilizer into the soil slowly, making for better spring growth. No fertilizer is applied during summer, but the plants are watered generously.
Mrs. Shackelford says the plants should always be moist, though not soggy-wet. She also holds the foliage washed off with the hose.
Mrs. Shackelford is president of the Columbus Camellia Garden Club, which stages a camellia show each year.
44659 by Julia Lester Dillon