By Jeff Minnich
camellias
In southeastern North Carolina, camellias are
still the stars of the show until the azaleas bloom
in April. Cut camellias last a surprisingly long
period of time, especially those blossoms floated
in shallow dishes filled with water. Any shallow
dish can become a camellia bowl, though there
are dishes made especially for them. Often, old
camellia bowls are passed down through families.
Be sure to clean up all fallen blossoms under
your camellia plants to help prevent the recur-rence
of blossom diseases next year. Once
blooming is complete, it’s time to prune the
trees and shrubs and feed them with camellia
food or other fertilizers meant for acid-loving
plants. Rather than shearing the plants on the
outside, it’s best to go deep within the plants and
open them up to the air, selectively pruning and
shaping. Camellias are at their best when their
natural shape is allowed to shine versus shearing
them into tight lumps. It’s been said that “birds
and butterflies should be able to fly through
camellias without touching a leaf.”
crape myrtles
You do not need to commit “crape-murder”
for your crape myrtles to bloom. This is a false
belief. All crape myrtles bloom off new growth.
Given the full sun they love, they will bloom
whether pruned or not, but nothing looks more
ridiculous than a gorgeous crape myrtle hacked
practically to death. The new growth is weak and
too dense.
Instead, get into your plants and open them
up. Prune out the dead branches, and selectively
prune and thin them. “Topping” any kind of
tree is not a good idea because the tree is prone
to disease and weak growth.
The best solution is to plant the proper size
variety for your yard. Crape myrtles now come
in very dwarf to very tall varieties, in many colors
and heights. All are hardy in the Wilmington
area. If your crape myrtle is too big for your
yard, consider removing it and planting a smaller
variety so you don’t have to hack at it every year.
Let the true form of your crape myrtle shine. a guide for Top to bottom: Jesse Gawlik of Flora Landscapes cleans fallen blossoms from the base
of camellia bushes and prunes some of the interior branches. He spreads fertilizer
around a client’s yard and selectively prunes a crape myrtle. Opposite: The ground
around an Okame cherry gets a fresh blanket of pine straw mulch.
62
WBM march 2013
Southern gardens never
really sleep. Yet as the
days lengthen and the
sun’s rays strengthen,
all gardeners get the
urge to get outside and
get their hands dirty.
As our gardens come
back to life, it’s time to
get busy. Here are some
things to keep in mind.