Too brash and blowsy for some, these glorious flowers deserve a warmer welcome, especially at this time of year. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. There are some plants that are inherently divisive – horticultural Marmite, either beloved or hated. Dahlias come to mind, as do chrysanthemums: big, brash, often in questionable colours. Another is the camellia, which can be dismissed as being a bit Barbara Cartland due to its unabashed pinkness, but is gloriously welcome in these dark days of January – and beyond.
![[Alice Vincent]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/uploads/2023/03/28/Alice_Vincent.png?width=75&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
When I think of camellias I think of them at their fairytale best: the enormous tree-like shrub versions that begin blooming at this time of year, alongside the azaleas in Cannizaro Park in Wimbledon. Or the charming oddity that is the camellia house in the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, where they belie their hardiness in that geometric Georgian building.
But while they are woodland plants and can grow vigorously in the right spot (with some shade and acidic soil), camellias actually make great small garden plants, too. I grew one on two different balconies before planting it in its forever home in the shadiest corner of my modest garden. They work well in pots – and if you have chalky soil you’ll have to pot them – although they get on just fine in clay, and make good statement winter plants in an otherwise quiet winter urban garden.
Choose an early-flowering variety to get most bang for your buck. While it’s true that some camellias spend most of the year just showing off their dark green, shiny foliage, the varieties that start flowering around now can keep going for up to three months. Look to Camellia ‘Inspiration’ for Barbie-pink blooms from January to April on a shrub that can grow up to four metres tall. To avoid frost damage and the used teabag-like appearance of fading blooms, plant them somewhere they won’t be hit by sunshine first thing: it’s the speedy thawing that causes the spoiled flowers.
