Having a "Camellia neighbor" has its benefits...

(top): One of my neighbor’s 15-foot + camellias at the property line.
(center): A wonderful feature I designed for Charleston magazine last year featuring many antique prints. Written by Melissa Bigner. http://www.charlestonmag.com/charleston_magazine/feature/charleston_s_botanical_treasures
(bottom): A chart on camellia flower form and style from Stirling Macoboy’s “The Illustrated Encyclopedia on Camellias”

The colder than normal winter here in the South was much more tolerable as soon as the camellias started blooming. I only have two in my garden right now, a double petal 'professor sargent' that I planted myself a few years ago, and an unknown dark pink variety volunteer that my friend Pete gave me. Both are pretty small at this point but I loved seeing them both bloom for the first time last year. The flowers were so big that they weighed down the thin young branches over almost touching the ground.

But my next door neighbor lives in camellia heaven. When she moved into her house more than 25 years ago she acquired a yard of more than 40 different varieties of camellias. I reap the benefits by having many of them literally hanging ("reaching!") over my fence. Each year on Christmas eve, and with my neighbor's permission, I clip enough to make two gorgeous bouquets. Family and friends marvel at how different each one is. Red, pink, candy cane variegation, single petals, double petals, etc.... Though they don't last long in bouquet form, I relish these 2-3 days every year.

I love it when my daughter sees a new camellia color starting to bloom... "Mom! you gotta come see this!"