By Charles Fenyvesi

                  Thursday, October 8, 1998; Page T23

                  Since the 1970s, when harsh winters killed most camellias in our
                  metropolitan area, many gardeners have been reluctant to plant this classy
                  evergreen and risk another heartbreak.

                  But thanks to the indefatigable plant breeder William Ackerman, a
                  now-retired research horticulturist from the National Arboretum who
                  continues his work in his back yard, nurseries now sell as many as 18 of
                  his cultivars of camellias reliably cold-hardy in our area and throughout
                  Zone 6.

                  Ackerman bred the series out of one of the few survivors of the 1970s
                  winters. The new hybrids also all have the oil-seed camellia, Camellia
                  oleifera, in their blood. It is not as aesthetically desirable as other species
                  but offers the key quality of extra hardiness.

                  One of the new cultivars, a white named Lu Shan Snow, has asymmetrical,
                  flaring petals. Arboretum curators have selected it as one of their Top 10
                  plants now featured in an exhibit titled "Evergreen Every Garden."

                  For gardeners who want to be guaranteed no more camellia disasters,
                  Ackerman recommends as the hardiest of the lot the pink, double,
                  miniature Winter's Rose; the pink, anemone-like, miniature Winter's
                  Interlude; the lavender-pink, peony-like Winter's Beauty; and the white,
                  anemone-like Winter's Waterlily. They are all fall-blooming, which is
                  another characteristic inherited from Camellia oleifera.

                  "For some reason that I cannot figure out," says Ackerman, "none of the
                  spring-flowering camellia hybrids are as cold hardy as those that are
                  fall-flowering." But, true to type as a breeder, he is optimistic that one day
                  he or someone else will come up with a spring-flowering camellia as hardy
                  as his fall-flowering hybrids, hardy to minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit.

                  He points to the success of a camellia demonstration garden he has been
                  involved in since its inception in April 1985. The garden forms part of Bon
                  Air Park, a facility of Arlington County, located at 850 N. Lexington St.,
                  off Wilson Boulevard. The camellia collection now consists of close to 200
                  specimens, many of them crosses donated by Ackerman and others by the
                  Camellia Society of the Potomac Valley. He points out that the species of
                  camellia called japonicas and sasanquas are doing very well.

                  This spring, he began planting another public collection, in Green Spring
                  Gardens Park, at 4603 Green Spring Rd. west of Alexandria, off Little
                  River Turnpike.

                  Camellias need well-drained acid soil with northern or western exposure,
                  and the ideal location for them is under shade trees, which offer protection
                  from winter winds as well as the sun.

                  For mulch, camellia enthusiasts like to use pine needles, laid as thick as
                  four inches. They look great against the glossy leaves of the shrub. But
                  other organic mulches will do too.

                  For freshly planted camellia bushes, Ackerman suggests additional
                  protection for the first two winters. Using a wire roll or wooden stakes,
                  form a cylinder around the young plant and fill with dried leaves. You also
                  can wrap the form with plastic, to be removed in late winter.

                  All fall-planted shrubs need to be coddled, especially during their first year.
                  Evergreens, in particular, should be watered frequently for several weeks
                  after planting, and their roots protected by a generous layer of mulch.

                  Mulch also protects the roots of existing plants--and now is the time to
                  replenish old mulch.

                  Beneath this blanket in the fall, roots will continue to grow as long as they
                  receive water. A three-inch layer of mulch can postpone that frost by a few
                  weeks.

                  Dead leaves rate among the best mulches. Oak leaves are especially useful
                  because they are light and do not pack. Maple and poplar leaves pack
                  easily and should be mixed with oak leaves or pine needles to keep the
                  mulch fluffy.

                  TIP OF THE WEEK

                  OCTOBER IS THE MONTH to fix perennial beds, says Donald
                  Humphrey, horticulturist from Falls Church. Lift struggling or displeasing
                  plants, work compost into gaps and replant with new perennials or
                  divisions. If desired plants are unavailable, mulch the pockets and plant in
                  spring.

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