I have a Camellia Japonica that came with the house when we moved in a couple years ago. It's a healthy, full shrub, about 6' tall and 3' across and starts blooming in December. The problem is, it gets loads of full buds ready to pop, and a few blooms, but then we get a polar vortex that blasts the remaining buds so I only get a few blooms and the rest are ruined.

I also planted a Nuccio's Gem (white) that blooms in early spring, but the buds come out in winter, and they get blasted too. This one is in its second winter.

So I'm wondering if I should stick with fall-bloomers because the winters here are usually mild, but we often get these atypical deep-freezes which ruin the buds of the winter and spring bloomers. Or maybe there are winter bloomers that will withstand the cold snaps better?

Any advice from Richmond or Central-Virginia Cameliia lovers on varieties I should be looking at? My house is in an old neighborhood with small yards. My yard has full morning sun in the front and south side, and partial sun in he afternoon (trees in the neighbor's yards and alley help with that). The Nuccio's Gem isin the front and gets about 6 hours of sun, and the unknown variety Japonica gets mostly shade. Everything is well-mulched, and I am an assiduous deep-waterer when rain is scarce.

Thanks in advance,

Eric Zwicky