It seems the Camellia is the plant of the moment. This weekend, Chiswick House opens its second annual Camellia Festival and May will see the launch of Chanel's new generation of "hydro-dynamic" skincare products, inspired by Coco Chanel's favourite
Who? It seems the camellia is the plant of the moment. This weekend, Chiswick House kicks off its second annual Camellia Festival in the setting of a 17th century conservatory and the newly restored and planted Italian garden. And May will see the launch of Chanel's new generation of "hydro-dynamic" skincare products, inspired by the camellia japonica alba plena, Coco Chanel's favourite flower once given to her by the love of her life, Boy Capel.
What? Camellias have been grown in China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam as a garden plant for thousands of years. The name camellia was given to the genus in the 18th century, in honour of Georg Josef Kamel, a Moravian Jesuit apothecary and botanist who worked in the Far East. They are evergreen, with leaves alternately arranged, simple, thick, serrated, and usually glossy; their flowers are usually large and conspicuous, one to 12cm in diameter, with five to nine petals in naturally occurring species of camellias. The colours of the flowers vary from white through pink colours to red; truly yellow flowers are found only in South China and North Vietnam. Traditionally, they have been used for tea, cooking oil and as an ingredient in drugs. Prior to being the flower associated with demimondaines or dandies, the camellia symbolised purity and longevity in Asia; in Japan, its name means "excellence without pretension".
"The camellia was Coco Chanel's favourite flower once given to her by the love of her life, Boy Capel"
Why? The plant was one of Coco Chanel's key inspirations: it featured heavily in her apartment, scattered on Coromandel screens, chandeliers and bouquets with rock-crystal and in many of her designs. It has since become one of the house's key symbols, appearing in clothing, accessories and now, skincare, chosen for its exceptional hydrating performance, helping the skin replenish and retain moisture.The Chiswick House Camellia collection, is a national treasure and probably the oldest in the Western world. It includes rare and historically important examples of these beautiful plants, with a fabulous array of blooms; pink, red, white and striped many of them descended from the original planting in 1828. Among these is the unique Middlemist’s Red, originally brought to Britain from China in 1804 by Londoner John Middlemist, a nurseryman from Shepherds Bush. It is one of only two in the world known to exist – the other being in Waitangi in New Zealand. What better way to satisfy our thirst for Spring than a celebration of new bloom?
The Chiswick House Camellia Festival 2012 runs from February 18 until March 18, 2012. Chane's Hydra Beauty Crème, Gel-Crème and Sereum launches in May.
