i have a Camelia bush which flowers every Spring. Unfortunately, within a week of flowering, the blooms seem to be covered in "rust" and very quickly rot.

Hi Evans,
I find a lot of the flowers turn brown very quickly especially if the weather is wet or frosty. But my oldest camellia is exposed to early morning sun which is not good. One I planted later is on a west facing wall and it does a lot better. I've tried covering with fleece at night but it doesn't make any difference. What position is yours in? Does it get early morning sun?

Thanks for answer. You are right. The bush does face early morning sun, so it remains a problem. My son, (who has a ruthless attitude) says "take an axe to it" - problem solved!!!

An easterly aspect means that any overnight frost tends to thaw quickly which is what causes the problem - this is why a westerly aspect is better. Your options are:
1. move it to somewhere more suited
2. plant something to the east of it to give it shelter from early sun
3. try covering it with a thick blanket on frosty nights and see if this helps