Camellia help please

Some of you may recall nearer the start of the year I posted a photo of a camellia that is in my back garden, and didn't seem to be doing too well.

I got some great advice (as always) which suggested that it was suffering from a lack of water and in need of feeding; I have given it a bit of TLC, including putting some ericacious compost around its feet, however it still looks pretty poorly to me.

I had a closer look at it the other day, and in short I am wondering if it is simply suffering from old age - the only foliage that it has is on the very ends of the branches, the rest of each branch is woody and bare.

So, I am wondering what to do next?

Do I hack it back to encourage new growth (if so, when)? Or has it had its day, and I should be planning how to get it out and find a replacement?

 

Given the flowers that it didn't really give last spring (especially when compared to the pretty one in the front garden), its currently not worthy of much to be honest - - however, it has quite a trunk on it at the bottom, and has obviously been rooted there for years, so I reckon there could be a hell of a lot of grief to oik him out.

The other consideration that I have, is that the property is rented - although I seriously doubt that my landlady would object to me hauling a poorly shrub out and replacing it with something newer/better.

 

Thanks Jenny

Just need to save my pennies up then - I might treat myself to the orange scented shrub that I was looking at a couple of months back, and then fill the rest with tree lilies

 

To be honest Sheal, I don't think she would notice, and even if she did she would likely be happy - she is really lovely, and as long as we are happy she is happy; she knows that we are looking after the place.

 

How hard would you prune it, because even if I give it a moderate hair cut, it is going to be a naked stick? Also, when?

 

Thanks - no buds at all that I can see. I suppose I have got nothing to lose by waiting to next year and giving it a trim.