Colourful camellias

Having dispensed with the ratty bottlebrush hedge that edged our driveway and kept out the sun, we decided to replace it with camellias - not as a hedge, but as a deep border of pinks and whites.
It's easy to become obsessed with camellias, not just because they're the happiest thing about winter, but because they come in just about any shape, size, colour and style you could want.
If you want to plant just one species in a variety of shapes, widths and heights, the camellia is perfect. You can graduate your plants from tall to tiny to craft the perfect border.
Camellias will grow in full sun, but they prefer a semi-shaded position. Dappled shade under other trees is ideal, and protection from the wind doesn't go astray either.
Soil with a high content of organic matter is best, and planting sites should be prepared with peat moss or leaf mulch until the soil is friable. Mix 50/50 with the soil excavated for the planting hole. Camellias like acid soil, so don't use lime.
Feed them with an acid fertiliser once flowering is over, and once more during the growing season.
They're fairly shallow rooting and will not tolerate cultivation around their roots. This also means they dry out quickly, so deep watering when it's dry is essential.
If you're a spray fan, you can spray for caterpillars, thrips, and aphids about three times a year, and if you like to tinker, give them a clipping when you feel like it to maintain the shape you want. There's a good list of camellias available at www.kings.co.nz that gives the vital statistics of many varieties.
There are plenty more available, too, but these will whet your appetite.