Camellia Club of Mobile
Inc.
Newsletter
Issue 1
Vol. X
- October 2013
Don’t miss our October 13th Meeting!!!
Our October meeting will be of special interest to anyone who grows camellias,
azaleas and other ornamental plants that thrive in our Gulf Coast climate.
We are very pleased to introduce John W. Olive as our speaker at this
meeting. Mr. Olive is the Director
of the Ornamental Horticulture Research Center which is part of the Alabama
Agricultural Experiment Station located in Spring Hill, Mobile.
The AESs throughout Alabama are under the auspices of Auburn University,
the one in Mobile began in the early 1920’s and quite quickly became involved in
researching insects that attacked camellias and azaleas. This research has
expanded to cover the myriad ornamental plants we now have in the south.
We know that this will be a very interesting informative program and we
are most appreciative of Mr. Olive giving up his Sunday afternoon to talk to us.
Do try to attend and don’t forget to bring pen & paper to take notes.
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FIRST MEETING OF THE 2013/2014 CAMELLIA SEASON WELL ATTENDED
The September 8th meeting saw a great group of camellia enthusiasts
gathered to celebrate the start of another camellia season.
Although we didn’t get to the planned
program on camellia care, due to a lot of Club business, it is hoped that we
will be able to have a short “questions for the experts” session at each
meeting. Remember, if you do
have a query about your camellias put up your hand and ask it, our experienced
growers are kind people who will always do their best to help – if you’re too
shy to ask, tell me and I’ll ask for you - I’m not known for being bashful!
The new Board & Officers that were elected at the April meeting were
introduced to the members – President Larry Heard, Vice-President Larry Bush,
Treasurer Martha Terry, Secretary Jim Dwyer, Board Members Walter Creighton (as
Show Chairman), Frances Ashcraft, Lyman Holland, Jr., Bill Rawls, Jim Smelley
and Jimmy Walker. We know they will all do a great job for the Club.
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IN MEMORIAM
Sadly we have to tell you of the passing of Mrs. Marie Mizell, beloved wife of
Max Mizell. Marie has judged at our
Camellia Show for many years and her help and advice in placement at the shows
was much appreciated during the days when we did not have as many volunteers as
we have now.. You could not attend
a camellia Show in the south-east without meeting Marie and Max.
She will be missed, our sincere
condolences have been sent to Max.
In July the camellia world lost a most important aficianado when Dr. William
Ackerman passed away in his 90th year.
Dr. Ackerman was a research horticulturalist and geneticist at the U.S.
National Arboretum. In the 1970’s severe cold weather decimated the Arboretum’s
collection of 900 camellias, while
investigating this disaster Dr. Ackerman realized that the species camellia
oleifera had survived the freezing temperatures. This started him on a life-long
quest to develop cold-hardy camellias.
His “Winter’s” series have been very successful, all with lovely names
like Winter’s Charm, Winter’s Joy, tho’ my favorite is Winter’s Toughie! Dr.
Ackerman authored several books, the best known are “Beyond the Camellia Belt’
and “Growing Camellias in a Cold Climate”. He also developed a number of scented
camellias, some of which we grow here on the Gulf Coast like “Cinnamon Cindy”,
“Cinnamon Scentsation” and “Ack-scent”. Camellias with the prefix “Ashton’s” are
also from Dr. Ackerman who lived in Ashton, Maryland. His work is a permanent
gift to the world of camellias, spreading the delight of growing our favourite
flower at least as far as Toronto, Canada.
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CAMELLIA CHAT.......
Don’t forget to send your dues for the 2013/2014 season to our Treasurer Martha
Terry, or give them to her at the next meeting.
We have a new Catering Member. Coralie Toomey, who kindly volunteered her
services after Leannah Holland retired from the job in April.
Coralie and her team of helpers did a great job of organizing all the
goodies members brought to the September meeting,
our grateful thanks for taking on this
task. Bless you, ladies!
My first camellia of the season was a “Jerry Donnan”, which beat out my usual
first bloomer “Sparkling Burgundy”
by at least 10 days!
Don’t forget the annual Gulf Coast Camellia Society Meeting – October 14 & 15.
Details are on our website and at www/ gulfcoastcamellias.org.
In appreciation of his service to the Club as President, the Club presented
Lyman Holland Jr. with a painting of “Magnoliaflora” and gave his wife
Leannah some potholders appliqued with camellias for her impeccable service as
Catering Member during the same time.
Why would a squirrel eat
a white plastic saucer which sits beneath a large pot I have on my deck? And I
mean devour it over
several days! There are several similar
pots close by which he (she?) has ignored....