Camellia Club of Mobile Newsletter

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Volume III Issue 2 ____November 2006

THE LATEST & GREATEST CAMELLIAS

If you are interested in expanding your camellia collection ( and who isn’t!) be sure to attend our November 12th Meeting at the Mobile Botanical Gardens. Elaine Smelley will be giving her annual slide presentation

of the best, most popular and latest camellias. This is a very popular program with lots of information on new cultivars and some special seedlings which have not yet been named. Do bring a pen and paper to

take notes. If you need extra information on a particular bloom, ask right away, or make a note of the name so you can ask later. As we have said before,it is not much use to ask at the end of the program about “that big ole purty white one” - we can guarantee that there will be a host of gorgeous blooms fitting

that description in Elaine’s presentation. So we hope to see you on Sunday, social half-hour from 2 p.m.,

meeting starts at 2:30 p.m.

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Dr. Bill Bennett’s Lecture Well Attended

Dr. Bill Bennett’s lecture at our October Meeting was attended by about 50 members. The discussion on the genealogy of camellias was most interesting, with many members taking notes during the talk. The “family tree” handouts on “Betty Sheffield”, “Tomorrow” and “Elegans were intriguing and informative. Obviously camellias travel worldwide - the original “Elegans” was in England in 1831 with many descendant cultivars

being developed from California to Pensacola to Christchurch, New Zealand. Our appreciation and thanks to Dr. Bill for yet another entertaining and educational presentation.

CAMELLIA SHOWS IN NOVEMBER & DECEMBER

The 2006 -2007 Camellia Show season is underway this month. We urge all members to try and attend at least some of these shows. You will see gorgeous blooms and lots of familiarfaces at these shows. If you feel you have some blooms worthy of exhibition at any of the shows, do take them along early on the first day. The Clubs will be happy to see you and your blooms, and someone will help any novices in entering their flowers.

11 & 12 November Greater Fort Walton Beach Camellia Club Show at Westwood Retirement Resort, 1001 Mar-Walt Drive, Fort

Walton Beach, FL. Open to public 1-4 p.m. (Blooms may be entered betweem 8 - 10.30 a.m. on November 11th).

18 & 19 November Mississippi Gulf Coast Club Show at Orange Grove Lyman Community Center, Hwy 49 N., MS. Open to public

2 p.m. Saturday. (Blooms may be entered between 7 - 10:30 a.m. on November 18th).

2 December Ozone Camellia Club Show at Municipal Auditorium, 2056 Second Street, Slidelll, LA. Open to public 2 p.m.

(Blooms may be entered between 8 - 11 .a.m. on December 2nd

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In Memoriam

We sadly inform the membership that Marshall Morgan passed away on June 28 this year. Marshall was a relatively new member of the Club - he and his wife Barbara joined us at the Club’s 2004 Show. Our sincere condolences go to Barbara and her family. She has continued her membership in the Club and we look forward to seeing her at our meetings.

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CAMELLIA CHAT

Looking for something different in a camellia? Why not check out Wilsey Nursery on Highway 27 in Baldwin County - they had several very interesting specimens of “Egao Contorta” which has a fascinating growth habit of very curly, curvy stems and branches, propagated by Bobby Green of the excellent Green Nurseries. They had about five of these plants, plus a good selection of sasanquas and japonicas such as“Drama Girl” and “Sawada’s Mahogany”.

Camellias got a big plug on the TV the other week from our very own Floyd Hamburg. Floyd was taking part in a program on the latest in some cancer treatments, he mentioned his camellias several times, and although there was not much shown on the cancer treatment machines, we didsee a lovely shot of Floyd walking in his camellia garden with his wife Melba! Nice healthy looking camellia plants, too!

If any member has a “Tudor Baby” big enough to spare a scion at grafting time next spring, please let Vera or Bill Curry know. If anyone has a special scion they are looking for, let me know and I will be happy to put the request in the Newsletter.