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Camellia
Club of Mobile Newsletter _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Volume
V Issue 1
October
2008 The
next meeting will be held on October 12 at the Mobile Botanical Gardens and we
have a really great program in store for members. Jim
Smelley will let us in on the secrets of growing superb camellias in a
greenhouse, he’ll have lots of excellent tips and advice for those who
want to try this - you don’t need a huge greenhouse to grow protected
camellias. Elaine Smelley will then
treat us to a slide show of old
and new varieties of camellias, including some of her and Jim’s latest
un-named cultivars. This slide
program has always been one of the
Club’s most popular, and many people were disappointed that it was not
included in last season’s programs. So,
folks, we’re back! Do
bring a pen and paper to take notes - don’t rely on remembering your
favorites! I’ve tried that and
found that my memory now has a remarkable
resemblance to a spiderweb - some things stick, but lots fall through! START OF THE SEASON MEETING VERY
WELL ATTENDED Our September
meeting was a great gathering of about 45 members, all happy to see the start of
another camellia season. The
atmosphere was very relaxed
and everyone had a nice time, socializing and discussing their summer
happenings. Our new President Jim
Dwyer finally managed to call
everyone to the meeting, and after the usual business stuff, a most interesting program followed on what to do now.
A panel of experts
(or, as they preferred to be called, “experienced growers”) consisting of
Barney Barnard, Walter Creighton,
Rick Crow, Jim Oates and Jim
Smelley, took questions from the assembled members on all aspects of camellia
care. After the meeting it was a
consensus of opinion that these
guys are experts, despite
their disclaimers! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In Memoriam We sadly announce the passing of long-time member Bill Bender who
died unexpectedly during the summer. His
cheerful presence will be much missed. Our sincere sympathy goes out to his wife Belle, who always
attended our meetings with Bill. The camellia world lost a very important member with the recent
death of Jean Comber of Pensacola. Jean
was a member of our Club for many years and faithfully attended all our Shows. She worked very hard in furthering interest in camellias
through the ACS and most of the local clubs in the South. We have dedicated our 2009 Camellia Show to the memory of this dear
lady. She cannot be replaced. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The International
Camellia Society has a marvelous new item on their website. They have added the entire International Camellia Register to their site
which you can reach through a link provided at our Club’s website. It is really interesting, and it is free and open to all! Baldwin County
members of the Mobile Camellia Club have again been busy on the Camellia Walk
they planted in Foley. All the
plants now have handsome
botanical garden quality labels, plus a large plaque detailing the Walk and
those who made it possible. All
plants were given a delicious
feed of cotton seed meal and another spraying.
They all seem very happy, the Walk will be formally opened soon. Rick Crow has a
great recipe for special soil in which to plant your new camellias.
Most soil around here is quite lean, so he recommends the following
amended mixture be used: 25% aged
pine bark, 25% oak leaf mulch or shredded oak leaves, 25% good quality
potting soil (he uses Metromix
380 which is obtainable from BWI in Semmes) and 25% soil from the hole you’ve
just dug. The hole should be at
least twice the size of
the plant’s rootball. Remember to
plant high. So many people asked
about this recipe after September’s meeting that we thought we’d
better print it out for everyone, including those who missed the meeting. Any
questions, ask Rick! Most members know
that 2010 will see the 70th anniversary of the founding of our Club.
Vera Curry has made a lap quilt which shows l9 different
camellias. This quilt will be
raffled at the January 2009 Camellia Show and all the proceeds will be used for
the Camellia Club of Mobile to
celebrate this anniversary. Tickets
are $2.00 each or 3 for $5.00. They
can be purchased at Club Meetings or by contacting our Treasurer Kay
Calloway. Members who get this
Newsletter by regular mail will also get a picture of the quilt, those who get
it by E-mail should go to our
website and you will find a photo of the quilt under “Camellia Club Events”. On a personal
note, to all you dear camellia friends who offered transport and support during
Bill Curry’s recent serious hospitalization, thank you for
being such lovely, kind, caring people. You
made a very difficult time bearable. Bill
hopes to be at the October meeting. |
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