Planting now would be great! If you live in zone 7, you can completely ignore the "ground freezing" part of planting advice.

Thanks, Brandon. I will put it in the ground tomorrow! Very high winds today, so no desire to be out in the biting cold. I will, however, decide where I am going to put it.

Thanks so much.
Cynthia

mid-30s overnight

==>>> minus 30??? .. lol.. yeah right.. in VA .. lol ...

the issue with evergreens.. is DRY winter winds ...

so next time you can pic up a box at the grocer ... bigger than the small plant... grab it.. 4 stakes.. open top of box.. and bottom.. place over plant.. stake 4 corners.. so it doesnt blow away.. and instant wind screen.. but otherwise open to ambient everything else ...

in disturbing the roots.. you will interrupt the roots ability to move water.. and we just want to keep the wind off the leaves ... eh??

ken

Ooh, good idea about the box, Ken! oh and the - was a dash. If it were ever to get to minus 30 here, I would be packing up and moving farther south! :)

Thanks.

Merry, merry gentlemen! I appreciate your help and knew I could count on you both!

Cynthia

being the king of cheap.. i like free boxes.. lol ..

and being the prince of 'i will do it later' .. years later.. lol ... the box will recycle itself into the soil ... presuming the neighbors dont start mocking me.. lol ..

or in the alternative.. should the box dry in spring.. and blow off the stakes.. well.... when i turn a corner on the riding lawnmower and obliterate it.. i call it lawn fert.. lol .. aka compost ...

no downside here.. lol

ken

BTW .. had this all occurred much earlier in the season.. you could have filed the box with some light fluffy oak leaves .. for added insulation.. though i am not sure you need that in z7 ... but not leaves that will wet down to a gelatinous pile of goo .. and smother the plant ... [maple]

We have plenty of oak leaves which rather appalls some neighbors. We are not particularly obsessive about removing all our leaves unlike many in our neighborhood. Sure wish we had as much land as you do! I am contrary enough to enjoy being the one house that looks natural and not manicured. ;)

cyn, good advice from above. I just wanted to let you know that I have a C. sasanqua here in Penna. You might get a few tips burned the first few years, or more likely for you, just this winter. Don't fret, prune them off, and wait for the show. It is so life affirming to walk out on those frosty November mornings and see the Camellia blooms. Mine still has pink frozen half-opened blooms, enough to give it color even today. Until early Dec., we had open pink flowers that shook off temps into the mid-20sF.

What a thoughtful neighbor. If this is your first Camellia, you will find places to put more. For a big listing of Camellias, there is a place called camelliaforest.com to separate you from your money.

Thanks, Dzitmoidonc. The Camellia is planted and tomorrow I will get mulch and a box :) I rained like crazy all day, so didn't do anything except dry off the pups every time them came in. I put it on a slope between a couple of oaks. Perfect timing with the rain!

Not my first Camellia, but I planted the others in spring or fall-never this late. I have one that is blooming like mad right now and has been for weeks! Also, from looking it up, this one is more bushy, shrubby than the others I have. Can't wait to see it in a few years.