Plantmegreen.com has a nice selection. I ordered one from them in 2015 and am happy with the plant i received. I got the "Shi Shi Gashira". Which is a smaller cultivar.

Plant these in shade instead of sun.

You should have local nurseries that can supply with camellias that are good for your area. You can also contact your Virginia Camellia Society at
(757) 436-6457 or contact Toni via Email:
info@vacamelliasociety.org

I second Camellia Forest Nursery in Chapel Hill, NC. (or browse/order online). If you want a fall blooming camellia, I'd recommend "Carolina Moonmist" for very heavy flower production.

http://www.camforest.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=moonmist&Search.x=12&Search.y=15

Do your homework as to variety and siting. In Virginia, choose an open northern site first, then western next ...all preferably with some shelter from winds. Or a southern exposure but with light shade from trees. No morning sun in winter. That's the worst. Look for the hardiest varieties. Ackerman or Parks (April series) hybrids.

Then think about spring vs fall bloomers. I'd go with spring at this point (japonicas and hybrids). Then think about color (white, pink, red, salmon, etc) and then flower form - single, double, formal, etc.

I would look into 'Springs Promise' for starters. Early bloomer, single blooms, pink-salmon color. very hardy and can bloom even around Christmas, but often much later.

Others to consider for spring bloomers: Korean Fire (red), Kuro Delight, Betty Sette, Variety Z, Red Fellow, April Remembered, April Kiss, April Tryst, April Melody, April Rose, Jerry Hill, Kumasaka, ....for starters!

I've been reading up on camellias (I live in NC) and they like a northern exposure and shade. Only morning sun, well drained soil and protection from northwestern winds are recommended. BTW, camellias grow wild in Japan and China, as here, so I don't think any babying is required if they're planted in the correct location and the proper, slightly acidic soil: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Camellia_japonica_var._decumbens_3.JPG

There are more than 2K cultivars of camellia japonica.

"Only morning sun, well drained soil and protection from northwestern winds are recommended."

Dave in Nova is correct. Morning sun is actually very bad for camellias in borderline areas. (as in, borderline too cold) But when I'm down in Piedmont NC, which is a milder zone 7 than say, Washington DC, I don't see that people are very particular about how they are sited, other than partial shade.

For me in the northeastern corner of MD, most of them need protection from winter morning sun...but the very hardy 'Korean Fire' gets it and is ok, other than the leaves going a bit reddish in winter.

OK; I was going on advice from another gardening site. I live in the middle of NC and at my 2 other houses, the camellias were in extreme shade. I have 4 April Snow camellias for this house that I'm planting on the front, northern exposure in almost total shade (wide overhang) w/a mature maple and dogwood in front, along with tall cedars on the side, where another already exists at the bottom of a slight slope in front of the house. These April Snows are smaller, about 4'x7' growth, if I can believe that. Taking the awful 50 yr old hollies out, already cut down to about 18", all trunk.

I planted azaleas last year with pretty much the same exposure on the other side of the house entrance and they're thriving.