This is an illustrated guide to varieties, cultivation and care, with step-by-step instructions and over 140 stunning photographs. It includes a full photographic directory of more than 40 varieties, including species and hybrid camellias. For every variety, comprehensive information is provided on growth, appearance, hue, size and flowering. It offers expert advice on buying and planting and choosing the right companion plants to go with your camellias. It includes step-by-step photographic guidance on camellia care, pruning, training and propagation, and pests and diseases. Camellias are among the most sophisticated of flowering shrubs, producing an abundant display of elegant flowers during winter and spring. They can be grown singly in containers, in mixed borders, in woodland settings, trained as a hedge or along house walls. This beautifully illustrated handbook explores the history of camellias and provides a directory of over 40 different varieties. It explains how to grow camellias to their best advantage in the garden and in containers, and how to prune, train and propagate them. Whether you have a handkerchief-size plot or a large country garden, you are sure to find a place for these versatile shrubs.