I hope you have 10 years for that to come to fruition. If Camellias are growing at two to three inches a year, you have to wait a long time to get a full effect like that photo.

Yes I do. I'm young-ish with some garden patience but that doesn't help with my question. It's behind a row of incrediball Hygrangeas and we want to offset it with a little year round greenery.

I suppose you could create a large loop in a wire-tie, and then staple the end of the wire tie to the fence. Make the loop large enough to accommodate branch growth over time.

That picture is rather curious. I don’t know what sort of camellia that is with such sinuous growth. Espalier Camellias I’ve seen don’t look like that. They have horizontally trained stiff woody branches. I would just put up wires. It’s not hard and once they’re up you can train your shrub at any time without having to add new ties. Btw if you use ties use something soft, like stretch ties or tough fabric strips, not wire which would cut into branches.

My camellias have grown a lot more than 2-3 inches in a year. They were well established and had been sheared so I don't know if that made a difference when I thinned them and let them grow. The new growth is flexible and could be trained like the picture.

Attach a holding system like eye hooks and then run wires through them, so that the fence becomes like a guitar neck. And then tie the camellia stems to the wires with suitable fasteners wherever needed. With air circulation not being a relevant factor in this instance - don't worry about it.

Curving shoots are typical of various Sasanqua cultivars.

I planted it last week and since it had very drappy, flexible branches (resembled Cousin It) I temporarily rigged this up so the branches weren't laying on the ground. I did pick this wire and hooks a few days ago so I plan on creating the "guitar" system. I hope these are okay as I didn't want to make the drive to the hardware store.

Good to know about the air circulation!

Finished system...I think since the wire I bought is so thick this is the most taunt I can make it. Is this sufficient or should I try a different type of wire?

Looks perfect. What camellia is it? These long flexible branches don't look like any I see here. And it’s flowering in October which is odd. .

I mistakenly said it was Buttermint above but it's actually Setsugekka (Sasanqua) variety so it blooms in the Fall/early Winter. At the nursery, the other Setsugekkas had a little more typical branches but this specific one for whatever had very malable branches I figured it would be easier for training. And thanks!

Curving branches and autumn flowering are typical of Sasanqua camellias. Even though best adapted to California (and trucked up from there) these have long been an independent garden center staple here in the PNW. With there being a few veterans around that are small tree sized.

I live in an older neighborhood in Seattle, and the fall blooming Sasanquas are quite popular espaliered on brick and stone walls around here. Oh how I wish I had an old stone! I'm surprised they aren't popular in the UK as we have similar climates.