Keepoing a fantasy garden of oaks and camellias alive

摘要

An article in the July 27, 2010 New York Times rightfully alarmed what it called the aging membership of the Camellia world with this quote, " Because of environmental concerns, Descanso Gardens, near LosAngeles, is doing the once unthinkable: it plans to uproot its historic-but nonnative-collection of camellias, some as tall as 30 feet, which were planted decades ago under the shade of natural woodlands. "It's a fantasy forest which cannot be sustained. Camellias require so much water that it is killing the trees ~ not to mention being wasteful." A little clarification is needed, 'natural Woodlands' referred to at Descanso is the Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia) under which the camellias were planted, some over 70 years ago. These oaks need wateronly in winter and none in summer.