It lived through the Battle of Trafalgar, survived the reign of Victoria and escaped unharmed from a Blitz bomb.So it’s going to take more than a harsh British winter to stop one of the world’s rarest camellias from bursting into flower. This week – in a welcome sign that spring is just around the corner – the ‘Middlemist’s Red’ has put on its most spectacular display in many years. Brought from China to England more than 200 years ago, it is enjoying a new lease of life thanks to the restoration of its 19th century conservatory at Chiswick House, west London, where it is pictured being tended by head gardener Fiona Crumley.
