One of the tip jewel at the historical Planting Fields Arboretum in Oyster Bay , New York is the regal Camellia House greenhouse . This soaring glass social system house an unequalled collecting of camellias and provides a sorcerous setting for the annual Camellia Festival each wintertime .
History of the Camellia House
The Camellia House was constructed in 1917 for William and Mai Coe , the former possessor of Planting Fields The Coes had become captivate by camellias after purchasing their first plant life from an English greenhouse in Guernsey in 1917 . To properly showcase their burgeoning solicitation , they engaged prominent New York architect Guy Lowell to project an elegant nursery modeled after Joseph Paxton ’s famous Chatsworth Great Stove in England
The original wood and glass Camellia House was built by noted greenhouse designers Lord & Burnham . In 1922 , the structure was expanded with the addition of the east and west wings under the guidance of the Olmsted Brothers , the influential landscape painting architects who facilitate shape the land at Planting Fields .
Over the years , the Camellia House has been carefully restored to maintain its historic splendor . The most late renovations in 2015 remediate the masonry and stucco . The Camellia House now stands as one of the last remaining private greenhouse “ conservatories ” from the extravagant Gold Coast Era of the early 20th one C .
Spectacular Camellia Collection
Today , the Camellia House contains over 200 camellias , with many rare and strange specimens . The collection includes antiques go steady back to the former twentieth C along with advanced cultivar . The flowers blossom in late wintertime and early leaping , typically from January through March . When in top efflorescence , the Camellia House contains thousands of brilliant blossoms in colour ranging from pure white to vibrant pink . The roomy greenhouse allow for the camellia to grow to their full matured size , with some specimens reaching up to 20 feet tall .
Some of the most darling camellia in the collection include :
‘ Mikenjaku ’ – a crimson flower with dramatic white-hot speckles and run . One of the original camellia from the 1920s .
‘ Mathotiana Supreme ’ – a shell pinkish flower that fade to appleblossom white at the petal edges . Has a deluxe mix form .
‘ Tom Knudsen ’ – a bright ruby camellia that beam like a radio beacon in the greenhouse . Medium semi - threefold blossom .
‘ Black Magic ’ – a deep dark-brown - reddened camellia with a golden boss of stamen . average flower with easy petals .
‘ Francie litre ’ – a very heavy soft pinkish flower edged in white that fade to solid whitened . A baronial prime .
The Spectacle of the Camellia Festival
Each wintertime , the Planting Fields Camellia House takes center phase during the one-year Camellia Festival . This pop two - day effect is a ken to behold , with music and activity set amid thousands of salient blooms . visitor can tour the Camellia House , savour light snacks , watch art demo , participate in workshops , and take menage camellia - themed gifts from vendors . The Camellia Festival typically pick out position in later February when most mixed bag are at their peak .
During the festival , the Camellia House in truth lives up to its full potential as a wintertime garden wonderland . The sheer volume of color and fragrance delight visitant to another world . It ’s well-heeled to imagine you ’ve been whisked away to a fragrant floral nirvana in the depths of wintertime . If you live in the Northeast , the Camellia Festival is the double-dyed curative for cabin feverishness !
Growing Camellias at Home
Part of the allurement of the Camellia House is the whimsy that we could grow these blue flowers in our own backyards . With proper care , many camellia varieties can expand outdoors class - turn in climate similar to Long Island , New York . Here are some tips for cultivating camellia in the landscape painting :
Choose an expanse with mottled sunlight or lite afternoon ghost . Morning sun is suffer .
Provide rich , acidulent , well - draining soil remediate with organic matter . Shelter plant from wind .
Water on a regular basis to keep evenly moist ( but not torpid ) soil . Mulch around the plants .
Feed in former spring and summertime with camellia plant food or azalea solid food .
Prune selectively after flower to shape and take away dead wood . deflect major shearing .
Protect plant from harsh wintertime wind and cold with a breathable gunny CRT screen .
With the right fix and care , many exquisite camelia variety can prosper outside the Camellia House in home gardens . For bedazzle wintertime flush in cold climate , camellia are lovely glasshouse specimens too .
The Allure of the Planting Fields Camellia House
The Camellia House at Planting Fields provide a rare chance to experience hundreds of camellia at their peak grandeur in one location . The greenhouse itself is a priceless historical relic , as princely as the prime it contains . During the one-year Camellia Festival , this floral expo comes alive in all its glory . If you subsist nearby or are visiting Long Island , be sure to pay heed this prominent upshot . Just mind the throngs of heyday fanciers tilt for photograph – the Camellia House is immensely photogenic !
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