Camellia Club of Mobile Newsletter

Volume I Issue 4 January 2005

The new year starts with a change of meeting venue

January Meeting at Bellingrath gardens

Don’t forget! As of January 9, 2005, the Camellia Club of Mobile will be holding its monthly meetings at Bellingrath Gardens. The meetings will begin as usual at 2:00 p.m.

The January meeting is one of the most important in the camellia year, since this is when we plan and organize our annual Camellia Show. Most of you are aware that this year’s Show is extra-special since the Club will be celebrating its 65th anniversary. Founded in l940 by a group of local businessmen who enjoyed their hobby of growing camellias so much that they wanted to share the fruits of their labors with the public, the Club has continued for sixty-five years. Through the years dedicated camellia enthusiasts have kept the Club going, finding new members and passing on the Club’s love of our favorite flower to the next generation. Currently, the Club has the most members it has had during its long history, and we believe we are the biggest Camellia Club in the U.S.A. (if not the world!).

Our Show is well-known throughout the South, with exhibitors coming to take part from most of Alabama’s surrounding states, including Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Louisiana. We try to make it a smooth-running and pleasant experience for Club members, exhibitors and the general public who come to admire the cream of the camellia crop which will be on show. There are lots of small jobs that need volunteers so do come to the meeting on January 9 and help make our Club’s 65th Show a super success.

Members who enjoyed the Club’s visit to Jim & Elaine Smelley’s greenhouses on December 19 know what gorgeous blooms will be on display at the Show.

If you can’t make the meeting and want to help at the Show contact Show Chairman Walter Creighton or Assistant Show Chairman Ray Calloway.

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Celebrating Sixty-five Years 1940~2005

The 65th Annual Camellia Show of the Camellia Club of Mobile Inc. will be opened to the public by Alabama’s First Lady, Mrs. Patsy Riley, on Saturday, January 15, 2005. The Show will be held at Colonial Bel Air Mall (Target Stores entrance), and open to the public from 3 p.m. until 9 p.m. on Saturday, January 15, and from noon until 4 p.m. on Sunday, 16 January 2005.

People wishing to exhibit blooms can bring them to the Show from 7 a.m. on Saturday. No blooms will be accepted for exhibition/competition after 11 a.m. This will permit the teams of judges plenty of time to choose the award-winning flowers and also have lunch prior to the official opening of the Show by Mrs. Riley. If you are new to exhibiting at a Camellia Show, our past President Barney Barnard will be at the entrance to the Show from 7 until 11 a.m. to help everyone with exhibition cards and questions.

There will be some special camellia plants for sale that have been grafted by Jim Smelley just for our Show, plus a number of popular camellia plants from Vernon Howell’s nursery in Mississippi. We cannot reserve any of these plants in advance, if you want one get there early since they go fast, especially Jim’s grafts! (If you can’t make it, get a friend who can to buy the plant you want!). Also on sale will be the usual limited edition of hand-painted camellia mugs, plus some canvas tote bags with embroidered or painted camellias on them. At the same table we will have information and leaflets on camellia culture, etc. plus membership forms.

Since this is a special Show, the Club has inaugurated a new Trophy called the “First Lady’s Trophy”. This trophy will be awarded to the best bloom from the Alabama Garden Growers entries, as selected by Mrs. Patsy Riley. This year the trophy, and the Show, is dedicated to the memory of Dolores Oates, our friend who was a quiet, hard-working member of the Camellia Club of Mobile for over thirty-six years.

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Governor to proclaim 2005 “Year of the Camellia”

Our President Forrest Latta advised us at the December meeting that Alabama Governor Bob Riley will proclaim 2005 “The Year of the Camellia”. Members of the Club are invited to attend a ceremonial planting of a camellia at the State Capitol building in Montgomery on Friday, January 7th, 2005, at 11 a.m. If you wish to attend please contact Forrest Latta for further information on this.