Camelia problem

I bought this last year and it has never looked very healthy in my garden, though the other one I bought and planted not too far away its doing a bit better.
What could be causing the problem? The leaves are pale green and it seems to be dying from the top, the top stems of the plant are brown and look almost burnt. It is in sandysoil but its quite heavy soil too.
Every garden over here grows these without problems, except me.

 

Hi Louise

Have you tested the soil ?

Also is it planted in the lawn as you seem to have grass growing very close to it, also did it dry out a lot last summer as it looks like it could do with a feed plus , the hard winter stirikes again me thinks
Check the under leaves for scale insect as well



Spruce

 

Those leaves look as if they're chlorotic, this means the soil is the wrong ph.
Camellias only thrive in an acid soil, as Spruce suggested - test your soil and you'll probably find it's not acid enough.

Soil testing kits can be bought in a garden centre and some hardware shops, they're quite cheap to buy and very simple to use.

My soil is very alkaline in my front garden and neutral in the back (previous owner imported the soil) so my camellia has to be in a giant pot - where it's happily living

 

Give it a feed of sequestrene it should green it up.
Wait a month or so though.

But long term I think you have a problem with the wrong kind of soil and should consider moving it to a large container or a raised bed of acid soil.

 

Thanks everyone.
The soil is about level 6. I have lifted the plant out and root wise it hadn't done much. I now think the lack of drainage around the roots is a major factor too. I have rinsed some of claggy soil off and have left it to dry a bit.
I don't really want to plant it in a pot , (don't think I have a pot big enough to accommodate it when it's fully grown) So I am going to try it in a less heavy spot, with some pine bark in at the bottom and some special feed.
If it is going to improve; how soon do you think I should see a difference? Because if this doesn't work I will pop it in a pot.