October Magic camellias Putting you in a gardening frame of mind

October Magic camellias

Putting you in a gardening frame of mind for fall

by Norman Winter, The Garden Guy

October Magic camellias come in eleven varieties each with an exquisite shape and form.

October Magic camellias have really

captured The Garden Guy’s heart in recent years with blooms that are nothing short of exquisite but a size and vigor of plant that seems perfect for the landscape. That was a little tongue-in-cheek as I have had camellia sasanquas that reached the second story and took a pretty tall ladder to do a little trimming.

October is usually a time when you realize you have survived an oppressive end to summer. It’s hard to even believe that there are shrubs that start their blooms in October. By all means you’ve got to have them.

October Magic is a series within the Southern Living Plant Collection that features eleven varieties. There are a variety of colors and textures with blooms that will leave you mesmerized. You’ll find blooms that are ruffled like October Magic Carpet as well as those like October Magic Dawn and October Magic Inspiration that look like they were hand painted by an artist brush. You will most likely find the color of camellia you are looking for in this group. They all excel in providing the welcoming blooms as well as the bones or evergreen structure needed in the home landscape.

You’ll relish the fact that each of these October Magic camellias have a wide range of cold-hardiness, recommended for zones 7-9. They are ideally suited for the high shade or filtered light garden, though sasanquas can tolerate more sun than most imagine.

Planting tips

Fall is a great time to plant and inventories of camellias are normally at their highest. Roots increase dramatically during the cool season allowing the plant to really get acclimated and take off once growth resumes in the spring. Camellias require organic rich, well-drained acidic soil. In the landscape, put them in a bed versus surrounded by turf. Prepare the area for by incorporating 3 to 4 inches of organic matter, tilling deeply. Remember you want to avoid wet feet as much as possible. Dig the planting hole three times as wide as the rootball but no deeper.

The wide holes allow for the quickest rootexpansion and thus acclimation to the landscape. Place the camellia in the hole, planting 1 to 2 inches above the soil surface. Backfill with soil, tamp and water to settle. If needed add more soil and finish the project by applying a good layer of mulch.

Maintenance

Camellias typically don’t require a lot of pruning. Shape your camellias in the early spring as needed, just prior to the flush of growth. Dead or weak wood can be removed anytime.

October Magic Ruby is small and compact, with an uncountable number of flowers.

Feed your camellias with an azalea camellia fertilizer in the spring coinciding with the return of growth. Follow label recommendations and err on the side of caution, knowing that two light applications are better than one big one.

Favorites

October Magic Ruby is one of my all-time favorites. I feel the bulk of the garden world simply doesn’t know about this small compact grower that has about the same habit has Shishi Gashira. It loads up with an uncountable number of buds that proceed to open up throughout the fall. The flowers are fully double and perfect to get you into the holiday spirit.

At, The Garden Guy’s house I have them partnered in one area with Yewtopia Plum Yew. There is just something to love about this combination of conifer-like needles and ruby red flowers.

In another area I have them partnered with Paul’s Gold chamaecyparis. This bright goldOctober Magic Orchid resembles a fine piece of China.

needled conifer adjacent to ruby red flowers is nothing short of dazzling. It’s kind of like fine jewelry growing in the landscape.

I also love October Magic Orchid. Wow, you are talking camellias blossoms resembling rare china. These blooms are semi-double, white to blush with orchid pink highlights. These plants reach about 5 feet tall and 3 to 4-feet wide.

I combined these with Autumn Ivory Encore Azalea and Purple Daydream loropetalum.

About the author

Norman Winter is an author and speaker on horticultural topics.

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Norman Winter The Garden Guy