Camellia Garden Field Guide

Book excerpt: The Camellia Garden Field Guide is a layperson's guide to camellia-growing fun. This evergreen shrub, besides producing the world's most popular drink (tea), is prized by gardeners for its winter-blooming flowers. The authors are two accidental camellia enthusiasts who wrote this book for people like themselves, who once were novices seeking help with choosing and growing these amazing plants, as well as for new owners of old gardens needing guidance on restoring their treasure. Written in everyday style, this book is filled with fun facts about the camellia's Asian heritage, its royal European pedigree, and its American rebellious streak (Boston Tea party) which reverberates to this day. The authors offer great tips on getting started, building a collection, selecting camellia plants (including must-have varieties), restoring old plants, ideas for displaying blooms, and directions for year-round maintenance and care.