Never let anyone tell you plants aren’t dramatic. I have about 15 Camellias in my atrium container garden, collected from various sources at various sizes and blooming stages. The atrium is open-air but protected from severe weather, but some of the larger Camellias still experience a bit of transition shock when they move here from the local garden centers. Usually this consists of dropping some leaves and maybe the unbloomed buds.
But Pink-A-Boo decided to take this SO. MUCH. FARTHER.
I picked up a good-sized, in-bloom Pinky from my favorite local garden center in October, where it had been stored in their outside but sheltered shade garden. Brought Pinky home, placed in my atrium with the other Camellias, and enjoyed the blooms for a few weeks. Then slowly the pink blossoms started to bloom in a sickly green, and leaves started to drop. By the end of the year, all the remaining buds were dead, and more than half the leaves gone. In January, I bumped it during maintenance and all the remaining leaves fell off except five. 🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️ But knowing how some of the other Camellias had a rough transition, I just let it be, it got water and shelter right next to it’s fully leafed siblings.
And sure enough, when I was doing some work in the atrium today, I checked it over and found new leaves starting to grow on the bare branches. So I’ll let it finish it’s little hissy fit, and as soon as the weather is better it will get a pot upgrade with some good fertilizer. Hopefully by next fall it will be over the drama and ready to bloom again.
Some photos from October when it was in full bloom, and today in full hissy fit mode.
