Chiswick House Camellias 2021

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Images above: Heritage Camellias in Chiswick House Conservatory; photographs by Lucinda MacPherson

Outdoors and online

Chiswick House and Gardens’ Camellia Show 2021 will be different this year. Usually at this time of year the heritage Camellias in the Conservatory are on show to the public, bringing thousands of visitors to the Gardens.

This year instead, Chiswick House & Gardens Trust are marking a trail around the Gardens for people to see those Camellias which are growing outside. Not quite in bloom yet, the trail map will be available to download from Chiswick House & Gardens’ website in a couple of weeks’ time.

Images above: Heritage camellias in the Conservatory; photographs by Jon Perry

There is also Camellia themed content planned on the website for the show, from 15 February – 26 March.

‘Since we are unable to welcome you all into the Conservatory at present, we are bringing the best of our camellias to you at home’ say Chiswick House & Gardens Trust.

‘Across our website and social media channels we will be hosting plenty of Camellia themed content – including behind the scenes footage with our gardening team, top tips for caring for your Camellias at home, and a photography competition, supported by the International Camellia Society’.

Chiswick has what is thought to be the largest collection of heritage camellias under glass outside Japan and China. The original plants were brought here by sea, having been discovered by Victorian plant collectors. The 1831 Chandler & Booth plant catalogue has 32 types of camellia on sale, of which Chiswick House still has 16.

READ ALSO: Chiswick House Gardens’ Head Gardener Geraldine King talks to The Chiswick Calendar about Visiting ancient and historic Camellias in Guangzhou

Images above: Inside the Conservatory at Chiswick House; photograph by Anna Kunst; double flower; photograph Marianne Mahaffey

Photography exhibition and plant sale

The Trust is organising a photography competition. Entries should be sent to info@chgt.org.uk before 9.00pm on Sunday 28 February to be considered.

It is also planning a sale of heritage blooms, Covid restricitons permitting, some time in March, date to be confirmed.

This is the eleventh year of the Camellia Show. In 2015 The Chiswick Calendar’s editor Bridget Osborne interviewed Head Gardener Geraldine King about the heritage collection.

Read more on The Chiswick Calendar

See also: 300 years of Chiswick House Gardens, part 1 – guest blog by Dr David Jacques

See also: 300 years of Chiswick House Gardens, part 2 – guest blog by Dr David Jacques

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