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Europe gardens

Belgium

Despite its northern position, Belgium and Holland enjoy a relatively mild weather. The high passion of Belgium gardening is witnessed by the charming variety "Masayoshi", imported in 1829 from Japan, named as “Donckelarii” after its Belgian gardener, and eventually rediscovered in Japan, where the original tree is still thriving in Kurume prefecture. Belgium features one Garden of Excellence, namely Arboretum Provinciaal Domein Het Leen.

United Kingdom

The first living camellias seen in England were at Thorndon Hall, Essex, by Robert James, Lord Petre, among the keenest gardeners of his generation, in 1739. 

The expansion of global travel through the tea trade in the later 18th Century brought many varieties and species from China, Japan and other areas of Asia, as C. japonica and C. sasanqua. During the early to mid 20th Century, John Charles Williams, of Caerhays Castle, Cornwall, began hybridising C. japonica and C. saluenensis, which produced hardy camellias.

England's camellia heritage is preserved in its 'Gardens of Excellence' where many of the early introductions and hybridisation work can be seen.

France

Brittany and Northern France in general are a centre of camellia production. In early 19th Century Abbe Berlese popularised camellias in the Paris area. Camellias were widely used by florists for corsages. Nantes became an important camellia centre, when Jean-Alexandre Hectot established a camellia collection at Les Jardins des Plantes between 1803 and 1820.  Brittany, where Nantes is located,  enjoys an exceptionally mild  weather and acid soil, thus relaunching a wide passion of camellias, with numerous new gardens.

Germany

Germany has retained a very close relationship with camellias for centuries, with the first reported camellia bloom being recorded by Johann Heinrich Seidel in 1792. 
There are many beautiful camellias in Germany, with two gardens achieving the International Camellia Society's ultimate accolade of 'Garden of Excellence'. Despite the cold weather, some hardy camellia varieties thrive outdoor, notably in Hamburg. Germany features the monumental Pillnitz camellia. Tradition says the Swedish botanist Karl Peter Thunberg (1743-1828) brought four Camellia plants from Japan in 1779 to the Kew Gardens. One plant was passed to Pillnitz(Dresden). In 1801, that Camellia was planted by court gardener Terscheck in the place where it is still today, protected by a movable greenhouse during the winter.

Italy

Camellias came to Italy through the merchants of Lucca in Tuscany and through Naples, where English residents,as Lady Emma Hamilton, planted camellias in the English Garden of the Caserta Royal Mansion. Around the half of the Ninteenth century Italian nurseries in Florence, Rome, and around Milan, were producing and  exporting many hundreds of new varieties, as the spiral flower of "Vergine di Colle Beato" and "Contessa Lavinia Maggi", both still cultivated  today. Camellias in Italy start from the very North , on the Swiss border, to Sicily, thanks  to the mild climate and to the acid soil. Camellia gardens exploded in the Belle Epoque, especially on the alpine lakes around Milan, and in Tuscany. 

The Camellietum of Compito (Lucca, Tuscany), awarded in 2016 as Garden of Excellence, conserves a wide collection of old Tuscan cultivars and it is visited by almost 10.000 people every year. Villa Anelli is a typical private garden, in fascinating location on Lago Maggiore, with a wide sample of old and modern camellias.  

Spain

Camellias are concentrated in Galicia a region of North West Spain on the Atlantic Ocean, with a mild maritime weather, which allows the outdoor cultivation of any species and variety. This characteristics has put new enthusiasm and increased the popularity of camellias, with wonderful ancient aristocratic parks and many private gardens. You can find several Gardens of Excellence around the "Route of Camellias", which include ancient parks and newborn arboretums. 

Portugal and  Azores

Portugal got in contact with Japan and China in the Sixteenth century, and  some  Chinese words came to Portoguese tongue;  E.G.“tea” is "cha" in Portoguese, as in Chinese Mandarin and Japanese. Camellias were cultivated outdoor, in aristocratic parks, and  they are nowadays the largest camellia trees in Europe. The recently founded Region is fueling new enthusiasm, also driven by the easy climate. Besides the Garden of Excellence in Sintra, you can find  wonderful camellia parks in and around Porto.

Azores are a botanic park by themselves. Thanks to their relative isolation, the aristocratic parks of Azores have preserved  from extinction some varieties, as the so-called “Cup of beauty” (="Taca de formosura"), a old Chinese variety of Camellia japonica, probably among the top nicest camellias, with its  curved petals, which was believed as extinct in both England and China.  

Switzerland

Swiss camellia area is mainly close to the Italian border, where gardens  can exploit the mild sub-alpine climate. Swiss Gradens of Excellence are very close to each other, around Locarno. Those gardens are also very close to the Italian gardens of Lago Maggiore,  and only 30 kilometers from Villa Anelli. Specifically, the Camllietum of Locarno, on the  lake  shore, offers a wide range of species and  varieties 

 

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Antony Woodland Garden

Antony Woodland Garden Camellias walk
Antony Woodland Garden Antony Woodland Garden, Ferry Lane Torpoint Cornwall PL11 2QA United Kingdom
+44 07973 763546 (Garden Warden)

Arboretum Provinciaal Domein Het Leen

Arboretum
Arboretum Provinciaal Domein Het Leen Gentsesteenweg 80, 9900 Eeklo Belgium

Botanical Garden of Porto

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Botanical Garden of Porto Rua do Campo Alegre, 1191 4150-181 Porto Portugal
+351220408700

Camellietum Compitese

Camellietum Compitese
Camellietum Compitese Via Fonda 1, Pieve di Compito Capannori Lucca 55062 Italy

Exbury Gardens

Exbury
Exbury Gardens Exbury Gardens Exbury Southampton SO45 1AZ United Kingdom
023 8089 1203

Finca Areeiro

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Finca Areeiro FINCA AREEIRO ( Deputación de Pontevedra), Subida á Carballeira, n. 26 Pontevedra Spain
+34 886 201 700

Flora Cologne Botanic Garden

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Flora Cologne Botanic Garden Amsterdamer Strasse 34 Cologne North Rhine-Westphalia 50735 Germany

Greenway

Greenway
Greenway Greenway Road, Greenway Dartmouth United Kingdom
+44 1803 842382

Jardin des plantes de Nantes

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Jardin des plantes de Nantes Rue Stanislas Baudry Nantes France
+ 33 (0)2 40 41 65 09 (from Monday to Friday – 12:30 – 18:00)

La Saleta

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La Saleta A Sobreira, nº 2., Meis Pontevedra Spain 36637 Spain
(+34) 629 81 68 80

Locarno City Camellia Park

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Locarno City Camellia Park Parco delle Camelie Locarno, Via Gioacchino Respini Locarno Ticino 6600 Switzerland
0041 (0) 848 091 091

Luisenpark

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Luisenpark Theodor-Heuss-Anlage 2 Mannheim Germany
(+49)-(0)621-4 10 05 0

Marwood Hill Gardens

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Marwood Hill Gardens Marwood Hill Barnstaple Devon EX31 4EB United Kingdom

Mount Edgcumbe Country Park & Gardens

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Mount Edgcumbe Country Park & Gardens Cremyll, Torpoint Plymouth Devon PL10 1HZ United Kingdom
+44-01752 822236 ; +44-01752 822236

Parc ar brug

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Parc ar brug Plouisy Brittany 22200 France

Parque da Pena

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Parque da Pena Parques de Sintra – Monte da Lua Parque de Monserrate, 2710-405 Sintra Portugal
+351 21 923 73 00

Pazo de Rubians

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Pazo de Rubians Rúa do Pazo Vilagarcía de Arousa Spain
+34-986 510 534; +34-619 261 847

Pazo Santa Cruz de Rivadulla

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Pazo Santa Cruz de Rivadulla Lg. Ortigueira nº1, Santa Cruz de Rivadulla Vedra La Coruña 15880 Spain
+34 981 512 011

Quinta de Curvos

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Quinta de Curvos Lugar de Cerqueiral, Forjães Esposende Portugal
+351 253 871 555

Quinteiro da Cruz

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Quinteiro da Cruz A Cruz, 12 - Lois. 36635 Ribadumia Pontevedra Spain
(+34) 619 110 806 and (+34) 635 592 215

Soutomaior Castle Park

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Soutomaior Castle Park Soutomaior castle, Rúa rial Soutomaior Pontevedra 36691 Spain
+34 986804100

Terra Nostra Garden, Azores

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Terra Nostra Garden, Azores Rua pe José Jacinto Botelho, 9675-061 Furnas, Furnas Largo Marquês da Praia e Monforte, S/N Portugal
+351 296 549 090

Trévarez estate

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Trévarez estate Château de Trévarez Saint Goazec France
33_(0)298268279

Trewidden Garden

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Trewidden Garden Buryas Bridge, Penzance Cornwall United Kingdom
+44 736 364275

Trewithen Gardens

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Trewithen Gardens Trewithen Grampound Road Truro Cornwall TR2 4DD DD United Kingdom
+44 - 01726 883794

Villa Anelli

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Villa Anelli via Vittorio Veneto 6 Oggebbio Italy
+39 - 347/8301368 ; +39 -349/5799240; +39 – 347/6184584

Villa Motta

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Villa Motta Via Motta 24, 28016 Orta San Giulio Italy
+39-335-611-7702; +39-335-274-261
 

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