Shade garden treasures, camellias have long been cherished for their masses of magnificent flowers and their luxuriant, evergreen foliage. Blooming from fall to spring, depending on climate and variety, camellias reward the gardener with exquisite blooms of striking color and shapes at a time of year when the rest of the garden offers little. Camellias are no longer the privilege of mild winter regions. Many new varieties are now cold-hardy and can endure as cool temperatures as -5F (-20C) if grown in sheltered locations. Camellias grow well against walls, in woodland gardens, make lovely background shrubs, form attractive displays for decks and patios or serve as specimen focal points in the landscape. Many are suitable for container planting and some are even fragrant!