December is the perfect time to add winter-blooming camellias to your San Diego garden. If you’re searching for unique holiday gifts, consider giving something from your garden. And, if you’re tired of dried out Christmas trees, why not bring a live tree into your home this year?
Grow Christmas Camellias
A popular winter-blooming camellia (Camellia sasanqua) is ‘Yuletide’ with its brilliant red blooms. But there are other winter-blooming varieties that work well in San Diego gardens. Sharon Lee, a Master Gardener and member of the San Diego Camellia Society, recommends:
- sun-loving ‘Hana Jiman’ with paper-thin white petals edged in pink on large single blossoms. Grows 8-10 feet tall.
- fast-growing ‘Dazzler’ with cerise-red semi-double blooms. Grows 5-6 feet tall.
- earliest-flowering ‘Bonanza’ with cherry red peony-form blossoms centered with golden stamens. Grows 3-6 feet tall.
- compact ‘Shishi-Gashira’ with double bright rose red flowers. Grows 4-5 feet tall.
- willowy ‘Showa-no-Sakae’ with soft clear pink blossoms in loose peony form. Grows 4-5 feet tall.
Winter is the best time to plant Camellia sasanqua because, like azaleas, they are dormant when they bloom.
For the best choices, look for nurseries that specialize in camellias. Nuccio’s Nurseries in Altadena, well-known for propagating and growing camellias and azaleas, is a wonderful option. Make sure to check with them before you make the drive. There’s talk the nursery will be closing sometime in the future as the Nuccio brothers are in their 70s and have no one to take over their world-famous nursery.
Choose a Living Christmas Tree
Cut trees are beautiful, but living Christmas trees are an option you might want to consider. They can be used at Christmas for several years or planted in your yard after the holidays. And because they come with their own hydration system, they won’t dry out like a cut tree will.
You can get a tree that has been sheared and grown especially for use as a Christmas tree or buy a landscape-grade tree. Landscape-grade trees will be cheaper, but usually won’t be as easy to decorate. You can also rent a living Christmas tree.
Some good options for San Diego gardens are Afghan Pine, Aleppo Pine, Coast Redwood, Deodar Cedar, Giant Sequoia, Korean Fir and White Fir. If you’re planning on adding your living Christmas tree to your yard, check the growing conditions and mature size of the tree before purchasing to make sure it will work in your landscape.
Gifts from Your San Diego Garden
Gifts from your garden make thoughtful and unique holiday presents for other gardeners, foodies and even kids. Consider gifting fresh herbs in charming pots, a bowl of freshly sprouted lettuces, or a bundle of wildflower seeds.
For kids, radish-growing kits are a fun, hands-on gift. Homemade jams, jellies, pickles, and relishes, packaged in pretty jars with handwritten labels, add a personal touch. You could also fill a decorative container with layered bulbs or create a beautiful arrangement of succulents or small plants. To make your gift even more special, include a favorite recipe or care instructions.
San Diego Gardens Tips Source
A lot of information for San Diego Gardens comes from the Master Gardener Association of San Diego County. They are a great resource for all of your gardening needs including planting, pests, vegetables, and water use. They even have a free hotline where you can get your home gardening and pest control problems answered.