Best Camellia Season in a while

Well it turns out that the winter that I move away from New York, it's a mild one! There are so many things that overwintered with ease (I'll include them in a separate post). One of the plants that did really well are my camellias.
My Herme variety is in full sun and completely exposed and it suffered a lot during the winter of 2013 and again in 2014. Although it's nearly 20 years old it died back to half its size and didn't bloom for a few years. But this year it is completely covered in blooms (you can't even see the leaves!).

My Kramers Supreme camellia is the most fragrant variety I own and is also rated as the most tender (considered a zone 8 camellia). But I've never had an issue with it here even with temperatures in the low single digits. Although it does not get winter damage, it is in so much shade that it usually does not bloom. But this year it has several buds that are opening. It's a breath taking one!

My Arctic rose camellia has no problems blooming, but it is a very early bloomer so some years the flowers will get frost damage. No problems this year. The only downside is that I visited home at the end of April and it had already finished blooming.

Stay tuned to a post about what's in bloom. There's a TON coming to life up in NY. It's so dry here in Florida (where I live now) that there are very few plants down here that are sprouting with such vigor. But up in NY everything is really striving for their best.