Camellia Show 2020 at Chiswick House and Gardens

This weekend I unintentionally ended up immersed in the Camellia show at Chiswick House and Gardens. Living in Chiswick (West London, UK) for the past year or so, Chiswick House has been our go-to place for a day out in the Sun, cycling practice, meeting up with friends for a cuppa and some lovely festivals. We headed out this Saturday, ie yesterday, to help our 5-year-old practice his cycling skills. Needless to say, we got tired and distracted after about an hour.

I had forgotten about the Camellia displays altogether. As soon as I read the signs leading to the Camellia show, I lost interest in everything and strolled quickly to where the magic was. If you haven’t visited the gorgeous Chiswick House and Gardens yet, I strongly recommend you do so if you’re into nature, long walks, lovely cafes and glorious gardens.

Where to find Camellias at Chiswick House and Gardens:

The Camellias are scattered throughout the gardens but there is a special conservatory within the ground that houses most of the various types of Camellias.

Camellia in Bloom — Camellias adoring the end of the Conservatory that houses more varieties inside.

If you’re having trouble deciding what kind of Camellia you would like in your garden, this gorgeous display with all the Camellias in bloom will take help you decide what kind of Camellia you want to bring home. They even have some on sale so most of you gardeners may not be able to go empty-handed. They are, as expected, slightly on the pricey side but they’re well-grown and absolutely stunning.

Conservatory at Chiswick House — The Conservatory that houses all the glorious Camellias

Finally, when I was done taking photos outside and gawking at the variety of the blooms, I entered the conservatory. Greeted by very friendly staff members, there was a list of the 32 Camellia varieties on display (you can open the photo below and zoom in for the whole list):

List of Camellias on display at Chiswick House and Gardens 2020 — List of Camellias on Display

PLanter with purple flowers — From the very beginning, there is a left-sided display of terracotta pots with the show-stopping Camellias lined on the right.

Ancient Urn — One of the beautiful ‘urns’ displayed at the entrance.

Display — Every now and then, there are interesting facts displayed opposite the Camellias (click to enlarge).

Every now and then, there are interesting facts displayed opposite the Camellias (click to enlarge).

I stood next to each Camellia variety totally enchanted and definite that this was my favorite one, only to find the next one took an even bigger place in my heart. Camellias are so under-rated, if you ask me. Some argue that they don’t flower long enough. 6-8 weeks of the beauty of their blooms to announce the arrival of Spring in the extreme cold? I’d take that over most other winter flowering shrubs. In addition, their shiny evergreen foliage and lovely bark adds a lot of structure to most gardens. Anyway,I’m heavily biased.

I’ll show you as many as possible here but to really witness their beauty, you’d have to see them up close.

Plants in a conservatory — A very neat and practical display : Camellias with labels to the right.

Camellia Japonica ‘Rubra’ or ‘Single Red’

Camellia Japonica Rubra — Camellia Japonica ‘Rubra’ or ‘Single Red’

Purple flowers in a pot — Oh, and let’s not forget the quaint but delicate beautiful flower displays opposite the Camellias.

Statue in front of flowers — I mean surrounded by over 30 varieties of Camellias might make you think you’ve seen it all but no..look again! Stunning displays again!

floral displays — One of the displays under the dome, a structure between the two ‘arms’ of the Conservatory.

Statue with a red camellia — Under the dome stands another eye-catching sculpture..

floral display — The dome itself is no exception. It is adorned by…yup,you guessed it! Camellias!

Pink Camellia in Bloom — Camellia Japonica ‘Middlemist’s Red.’

White Camellia in Bloom — Another easy personal favorite: Camellia Japonica ‘Alba Plena.’

Camellia Japonica 'Variegata.' — Camellia Japonica ‘Welblankiana.’

Woman looking at red flowers — I would stay here forever if I could! The husband took these just while we were leaving the Camellia show.

Woman infront of Camellia — I would stay here forever if I could! The husband took these just while we were leaving the Camellia show.

On your way out, if you have a look around, the rest of the gardens don’t disappoint even in the cold weather:

Box hedging — Immediately in front of the Conservatory..

Winding path in the grass — One of the many winding paths in front of the conservatory – perfect for long walks.

Urn surrounded by daffodils — One of the many focal points in front of the Conservatory

Lake — One of the lakes – easy to see why many Londoners love this place.

birds in front of a lake — Bird-watching has become quite the hobby for us, thanks to this lovely park.

Since I don’t want to make this post too long with additional photos of the Grand House and its stunning grounds, I’ll sign off here with a short video about Chiswick House and Gardens: