Self-sufficiency in caffeine! Today we packed home a tiny tea seedling, no bigger than my thumb, from the Rockridge Orchards stand at the farmer’s market. Heaven knows the ornamental camellias around here grow like weeds, so I have high hopes for Camellia sinensis.
If it does well enough, I’d like to try propagating some cuttings in a couple of years. Some people say that cuttings root well; some say they don’t.
Did your little tea plant survive OK? We give a year guarantee … If she didn’t make it thru this perfectly awful winter, just let us know and we’ll replace her for you. You can catch us at one of the local farmer’s markets, or via email to our website. You’re right, camelias usually do fine in the Pacific NW … unfortunately this winter and spring were just a bit too much for alot of native plants.
đŸ™‚ judy
Thanks, Judy! That’s a generous offer.
My little tea plant made it through the winter just fine as a houseplant, and has been leafing out like a champ these last couple of weeks. (Which is something of a miracle. I’m not a houseplant person.) I thought I remembered Wade telling me that it’d be a good idea to pamper the little critter for the first winter, and I’m glad I did. That was some winter.