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What are you doing this season in the garden? |
What are you doing in your garden during this wonderful time of year? Hopefully you are tending your veggie garden,
maybe even getting your first harvests of lettuce and greens. Or maybe you
are replacing those worn out summer plantings with some gorgeous
fall flowers. We are busy at home doing a little bit of everything. Madeleine helped us replant our porch pots this week.
It is always good to have a helper, and it makes being outside even more
fun. Check out all of the cool plants that have arrived just in time for
the cooler weather, and get outside and enjoy. After all, Fall is for Fun in
the Garden.
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In This Issue
Camellias in Florida
Featured Plant
Upcoming Events
Onion Sets are In
Red, Yellow, White & Super Sweet
New Shipment
Camellias
10" Pot - $29.99
Click to See More Beautiful Plants at Kerby's
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Growing Camellias
For nearly 200 years, camellias have
been a fixture in southern gardens. As landscape centerpieces or foundation
plantings, they pull a garden together and their blooms bring a bit of cheer
during the winter, when their color is warmly received.
Varieties: Camellias
come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. From formal pinks to loose,
ruffled reds, there is a look and a style for everyone. There are also two main
varieties of camellias: sasanquas and japonicas. The sasanqua varieties tend
to bloom from late fall to early winter and are usually compact, arching
bushes. Some of our favorite sasanquas are Cotton Candy (a beautiful
semi-double pink) and Stephanie Golden (a light pink single). The japonica
varieties bloom in winter and early spring, and include many shapes and
sizes, including Pink Perfection, a perfectly formed, formal double flower! If you have room for more than one camellia, try planting multiple varieties that bloom at different times for color from October to
May.
Plant
Characteristics:
Camellias are slow growing, eventually reaching six to eight feet tall and
four to six feet wide. They need very little pruning, but make sure they
have room to grow to their full potential. If pruning is needed, do it in
early fall before blooms start to set.
Location: Camellias thrive
best in part shade, and in an area that has good air circulation. Four hours of
morning sun is ideal. Avoid too much afternoon sun, which is intense and hot,
and can cause the leaves to burn.
Soil: Camellias love
a rich, well-drained acidic soil such as Kerby's Pulverized Pine Soil. The more soil you can turn into the
planting hole and surrounding area, the better your camellias will grow.
Camellias do not like wet soil, so make sure that the area drains
well, even after heavy rains.
Planting: The ideal
time to plant camellias is during the fall and winter months, so that their roots can
become established before summertime. It's also the time that many are
blooming, so you'll get to enjoy some beautiful winter and spring color. For more
planting and watering instructions, see Caring for New Plants.
Upcoming Events

Workshop:
Butterfly Gardening
Saturday,
October 25th at 10:00 am
Bring on the butterflies! Butterfly gardening is a fun way
to get everyone involved in the garden. Plus the plants that
butterflies love are beautiful to us too. Come out to this
workshop and learn the best way to attract butterflies to
your garden.

Workshop:
Herb Gardening
Saturday, November
1st at 10:00 am
Come out and see how
delicious gardening can be. We'll talk about growing herbs, how to use them
and share some recipes. Yummy.
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