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Craig Sailor is the Arts & Entertainment editor at The News Tribune. Last year he planted his first vegetable garden. Focusing on unusual varieties, “Freak of Nature” returns for 2008 with a new crop of uncommon vegetables and flowers. This year he’ll try yin yang beans, giant pumpkins, blue poppies and mutant sunflowers. He gardens at his North End Tacoma home and sneaks seeds in to his mother’s garden at Willapa Bay when she’s not looking. E-mail him at craig.sailor@thenewstribune.com.

Sue Kidd is the Lifestyle Editor at The News Tribune and the ringleader for the Home&Garden section. She is a decent vegetable gardener, but occasionally a tragic mess at growing other stuff. She’ll blog about gardening events, gadgets, her weird obsession with guerrilla gardening and all her assorted garden disasters. E-mail her with thoughts/rants/questions/bizarre observations. sue.kidd@thenewstribune.com.

More gardening blogs:
Greengirl
"Starting seeds, dreading weeds."

You Grow Girl
"Gardening for the people."

Between Plow and Wood
"Meditations on farming, nature, food, art, sustainability, the environment and rural living."

Downtown Tomatoes
"A gardening club for the rest of us."

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Get Growing
A Gardening Blog
Friday, May 16th, 2008
Where are the flowers?
Posted by Sue Kidd @ 10:00:00 am

This blog post comes from Stacey Mulick, from our Crime and Breaking news team. Read on:

Where are the flowers?

More than two years ago, I planted this camellia outside my front window. It's in a spot that it appears to like - in the shade and where the ground is pretty moist.

I've seen new leaf growth the past two seasons and there are new leaf buds on it now.

But here's the problem - the plant has yet to flower. And I am beginning to wonder if it will. Last year, I thought maybe the plant was still in shock or still too young to produce blooms. That got me through last growing season.

But I have yet to see any blooms this growing season as well. The plant still looks pretty healthy and I haven't noticed any disease on the leaves. So what's the deal?

I'm going to stick with it and think optimistically. Maybe it's still too young.

Thoughts? Comments? E-mail us at gardenphotos@thenewstribune.com or post your comments here.

Categories: Flowers • 3 comments

COMMENTS:

minnieb @ 18:58 - Saturday, May 17th, 2008 Email
My guess is that it's either too young or not getting enough phosphorus. I'd fertilize it with a fertilizer for acid-loving plants this year and give it an extra boost of phosphorus this fall. If it's in too deep of a shade that might inhibit blooms too. I have Camellias in late afternoon sun and in early morning sun and they seem to flower well.
plants4u @ 22:52 - Sunday, May 18th, 2008 Email
As minnieb recommends, do fertilize this plant. It should be showing much more vigor for a camellia in the ground for two plus years. The leaves are showing symptoms of nitrogen deficiency. I would give this plant a granular slow release fertilizer as well as a water soluble fert. for a more immediate benefit. Don't be too stingy on summer water as they are shallow rooted and need adequate moisture to insure flower bud development which occurs in the summer months. Good luck!
ldozy123 @ 07:22 - Tuesday, May 20th, 2008 Email
I planted both of mine close to the house but in an area that has quite a bit of pine around it and they have gone crazy. In two years they are now 7 foot tall and bloom beautifully. Since they both started out at the same sze as the one pictured, I would guess that the lack of acid in the soil might be your problem.

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