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THE GULF COAST

Winter 2013 Volume 39 No. 1

Camellian

A Publication of the Gulf Coast Camellia Society

The Gulf Coast

CamellianVolume 39 No. 1 Winter 2013

President’s Message .........................................................................page 1

On our Cover....................................................................................page 2

Camellias in the Landscape..............................................................page 3

The Lonely Higo...............................................................................page 4

Greenhouse Growing - Part 3 ..........................................................page 6

Pensacola Club Shade House Workday...........................................page 9

Baton Rouge Camellia Society Propogation Program....................page 10

From a Gardener’s Journal..............................................................page 13

Gregory Earl Davis Obituary..........................................................page 14

ACS Flower Blight Research Project Form....................................page 15

2012 - 2013 Show Dates.................................................................page 16

Camellia Quiz.................................................................................page 17

GCCS Annual Meeting - minutes and photos................................page 18

“The Pink Perfection of Pensacola”................................................page 23

Editor’s Note...................................................................................page 24

Blood of China - An Old Mobile Variety.......................................page 25

In the Winter Garden......................................................................page 26

Camellia Websites..........................................................................page 27

About the Gulf Coast Camellia Society..........................................page 28

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As the new President ofGCCS I would like tostart by sharing with you

a little bit about myself. I havebeen a member of the BatonRouge Camellia Society since1984 and the Treasurer for 15years. I have been an ACS judgefor 7 years and a member ofGCCS for 3 years. I have livedin Baton Rouge for 32 years andhave about 100 camellia plants.I love every one of them and Iwish I had room for 1000 more! First, I want to thank the pastand present officers for doingsuch a wonderful job. DickHooton accomplished so muchduring his tenure. He got thebylaws revised and updated forthe club’s changing membership.Geri Jinks did an awesome jobwith the Camellian. It is withgreat sadness we lose her as theeditor but she has more importantbusiness to take of and we allwill be thinking and praying forher in the future. Peter Soulesupdated the membership rosterand lets everyone know when we

have not paid our dues. LynnetteSoules takes meticulous notesand informs the members of whattakes place at all meetings.Homer Richardson keeps thewebsite full of beautiful picturesand informs us of importantupcoming dates and events. Wewelcome the new editor, KennCampbell, who did a fantasticjob with his first Camellian. Wealso welcome our new Vice-President, Jim Dwyer, fromFoley, Alabama. Second, I want to begin myterm by emphasizing that this isyour Society. If you have anysuggestions or comments, pleasecontact me at 225.802.8785. Myemail is lynnv@cox.net.

Last (but certainly not least),thanks to everyone whocontributed to the outstandingconference in Natchez!! Geri,Homer, Lynne, and the entireBrookhaven club worked sohard. There were 66 inattendance. If you were not thereyou missed some veryinformative talks, good tours,

President’sMessage

Lynn Vicknair

1

good food, and some specialentertainment provided byPensacola’s talented EllenVinson. For the raffle we werelucky to have a beautiful paintingof “Melissa Ann” by artist KayKaberlein of Brookhaven. Now make your plans fornext year’s meeting in SpanishFort. Vickie and Al Bough arealready getting ready for you.Please contact them and offeryour assistance.

Kenn Campbell says if youwant to see material other thanBaton Rouge happenings in theCamellian, please send himarticles. Peter says please send inyour dues and contactinformation. Remember ACS is selling2013 Camellia Calendars and ishaving a membership contest. See you at the shows!!!

From our Cover ……..

2

Early blooms fromRichard Hooton’s

garden inPensacola, FL.

Clockwise fromtop - Mathotiana

Supreme Var.(Flowerwood,

Mobile Ala. 1951),Bette Ann(Hooton,

Pensacola Fl.1998), Kiku-Toji

(Japan 1895),Little Slam

(Nuccio, 1969).

Photo by Richard Hooton

Expect to seemore of

AliceCreighton atupcomingcamelliashows. Thebloom wasregistered in2003 by WalterCreighton. Thebloom is amedium formaldouble - rosepink with awhite border atthe end of thepetal. Shouldthis feature besubtitled "willthe real AliceCreightoncomeforward?"

T h e C a m e l l i a i n t h e L a n d s c a p e

Photos by Vickie Baugh

Vickie BaughCamellia Club of Mobile

Alice Creighton on the head table at a Covington show, 2011

Alice and Walter Creighton, with an Alice Creighton front center.

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There is a class of japonicasknown as HIGO. These areparticularly lovely flowersthat rarely ever get to theCamellia Show. The reasonmainly is that they areirregular flowers which mostcamellia judges deem as notbeing a perfect flower form.They are usually singleflowers with a large group ofspreading stamens. TheJapanese call them “smileyfaces” for when looking atthem they appear to besmiling. These are greatgarden plants as they arestrong and fairly vigorous ingrowth. Most of the Higoshave very large flowers andbloom abundantly, makingfor a beautiful garden accent.

Higos are coveted inJapan and they even have aSociety dedicated topreserving the higo. Around120 cultivars are listed thatthe Higo Society deemworthy of inclusion.

Very few people in thiscountry grow higocamellias. Luckily for us inthe Gulf Coast area, we hadtwo collectors who broughtback higos from Japan. ViStone of Baton Rouge and

By Jim Campbell, Covington, LA

Tahara Zaki

Ozeki

Photos by Jim Campbell

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Thomas Perkins of Brookhavenhad the largest collections of theseplants. Also luckily for us, theStone Collection was given to theBurden Center in Baton Rouge andthe higos are growing in their ownhigo garden. So if you ever have achance to see the higos in bloom atBurden, they will make you smile.

I have tried to collect all of thehigo varieties from both thecollections and have around 40varieties. Anyone who would liketo grow them can contact me and Iwill be glad to share cuttings orscions.

BenitaiheirakuFuji

Jitsu-getsu-sei

Mikuni-No-Homare

Kumagai

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Greenhouse Growing - Part 3

By Mark CrawfordValdosta, GA

Care of the Camellias.

Now that you are seriously considering growing protected camelliasyou need to consider selecting and growing the plants for the bestpossible blooms. Selecting the camellias varieties is very importantbecause your space is limited and the real estate inside that green-house is precious. One thing to consider is bloom season. Mid-season camellias are usually the most susceptible to freeze damageusually blooming during the peak show season from January throughFebruary. Camellias that bloom early either naturally or by usinggib can be grownoutside with littledanger of freezingand therefore arenot your best candi-dates for the green-house. It’s thosemidseason varietieslike the Tomorrowsand other largeflowered varietiesthat you should con-sider. Camelliaswith small and medium flowers should also be included so you havea good selection for shows or for your personal enjoyment. Thenthere are those beautiful reticulatas that bloom late or their buds aredamaged by cold weather. Reticulatas are generally what separategreenhouse growers from outdoors in the southeast and gulf coastareas. Growers on the west coast can grow retics outside becausethe climate is usually not subject to extremes in heat and cold.

Photos by Mark Crawford

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Growing retics can be challenging because they are moresusceptible to dieback and most varieties grow best when grafted.Retics are usually open growers that will exceed the height of thegreenhouse in a short time. This rapid growth requires frequentpruning that creates wounds where the dieback fungus can infectyour plants. Pruning wounds should be treated with a wound paintto prevent dieback, especially in the greenhouse environment.

For the best flowers, youwill need to fertilize theplants. When I did mysurvey of experiencedgreenhouse growers, fertil-izer application was themost diverse of all culturalpractices. There are alltypes of fertilizer fromtypical garden types like10-10-10 to polymer-

coated controlled release typesthat feed all season long froma single application. Then thereare supplemental fertilizer prod-ucts like Milorganite, bloodmeal, alfalfa, urea and micronu-trients. These productsimprove growth, leaf color,flower color and size. Urea andmicronutrients can be appliedas a foliar spray in addition togranular soil applied fertilizers.This is an efficient way to boostnitrogen and micronutrients in the plants during rapid growth andflower bud development and to correct any visible nutrient deficien-cies expressed in the foliage. There are so many different fertilizerformulations that I will not make any specific recommendations. Ifyour plants are planted directly in the ground you should get a soiltest that will help guide you to the correct fertilizer for your situation.If you grow in pots, then a controlled release product like Osmocote

Lauren Tudor Pink (Hulyn Smith, Valdosta, GA.2004)

Lady Pamela retic. hybrid (Dr. R. Withers, Aus. 1996)

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or Harrel’s Polyon is the bestchoice. Chicken liter productsand cottonseed meal are also verygood for camellias.

Now with all that fertilizerand lush green plants come theinsect pests. They will beattracted to your healthy plantsand you need to be ready toprovide control. Most growerssurveyed used a combination ofoil and malathion to control scale,aphids, mealy bugs and mites. Insome cases just using a horticul-tural oil (NOT DORMANT OIL)will work fine at a rate of 1 -2%v/v. If you have a severe caseof mites, use oil plus AVID orany generic product containingthe active ingredient abamectin.Another insect problem is ambro-sia beetles that chew multipleholes in leaves of new growthusually on the summer or secondflush of growth. They are bestcontrolled using a systemic insec-ticide or timely applications ofneem oil. Timely applications is

sometime between the first andsecond growth flush. If you getsevere ambrosia beetle damageon your camellias, it is best to

remove the growth flush andapply an insecticide. This willstimulate another flush of healthygrowth.

Greenhouse plants are usuallyplanted much closer togethercompared to garden plantsbecause you want to get the mostout of your greenhouse. Thisrequires more careful attention tosize management and carefulpruning. Keeping the plants talland narrow is generally the bestpruning technique for the green-house so each plant receives ade-quate light. Plants are generallypruned so that they do not growinto each other and have no crosslimbs. Maintaining narrow, openplants will provide the bestflowers for exhibition.

Disease control and propagationwill be the topic of part 4.

Polymer coated slow release fertilizers. Severe ambrosia beetle damage.

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PensacolaCamellia Club

Shade House Workday

Pensacola Club members assemble toclean up the shade house.

One young camellia gets a treatment.

Photos by Kean Engie

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As the Baton RougeCamellia Society grew,

new members wereattending the annual springshow. They were amazedand delighted to see so manynew and different japonicasbeing exhibited. Mike andDella Pigott began bringinggrafted plants to sell. Thiswas great, but there were stillmany beautiful varietiesunavailable for members tobuy. We decided to buyunderstock and graft ourown plants to supply bothwhat we wanted and whatthere seemed to be a need forbased on requests receivedat the shows.

We invited experiencedgrafters to come and teachour members how to graft.Our first mentors wereMike Pigott, GordonRabalais, Jim Campbell, ArtLandry, Kenn Campbell, PatHegwood, and CharlieJohnson. Soon many of ourown club members weregrafting also. Dr. PatHegwood, Director ofBurden Center, made thatfacility available to us. Wewere soon grafting japonicas,selling them, and sharing the

The Baton Rouge Camellia Society’sPropagation ProgramGerald Phares, President B.R.C.S.

Mike Pigott and Art Landry busy grafting.

Dyer Lafleur, Gerald Phares, and Lynn Vicknair assistgrafter Pat Hegwood.

Bill Stracener looks on as Joe Holmes grafts.

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profits with the Burden Center.We realized that with theBurden Center facilityavailable to us, we could growour own understock forgrafting, thus having a steadyflow of less expensive plantseach year. We also found thatmany of the more popularvarieties in the camellia showswere not available in thenumbers needed for ourmembers and friends.

Therefore, the goal of theBaton Rouge Camellia Societybecame that of rooting andgrowing understock andpopular high-demandjaponicas.

A new revelation hasshown that pre-1900 japonicasgrow better on their own rootsrather than being grafted. Atthis point, the BRCS has about600 japonicas ready to sell,most being grafted varieties; afew are growing on their ownroots. About 200 japonicas ontheir own roots in one-gallonpots are ready to be upped toone-and-a-half or two gallonpots. They will be added toour inventory for sale, first toour Baton Rouge members andsecond to other camelliafriends.

About 200 grafts made in2012 are ready to add to theinventory. A special effort isbeing made to expand ourStone varieties.

Additionally, we have2000 four-inch pots which

New grafts arranged in shade house.

As grafts start to grow, cups are removed.

“Ladies Weeding Team” grooms plants in hoop house.

Society members prepare flats of cuttings for mist bed.

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A crew of members repairs the shade house afterdamage by Hurricane Isaac.

The group takes a break after potting up cuttings into4” pots.

were rooted in the misting bedin June 2011 of which 1000are popular varieties ofjaponicas and 1000 popularvarieties of sasanquas. Thesewill be upped to one-gallonpots in the fall of 2012.

On August 1, 2012, wecompleted filling seventeentrays with cuttings ofjaponicas and sasanquas. Weencourage our members tofertilize their plants in orderto have cuttings with four tosix inches of new growth.Our cuttings are placed aboutone to one-and-a-half inchesapart into 20" x 20" traysfilled with about four inchesof Perlite, but there are othergood media available. Weestimate that we haveapproximately 5000 cuttingsin the seventeen trays (2000sasanquas and 3000japonicas). We have selectedtop varieties requested by ourmembers and friends.

Florence Crowdermaintains a computer list ofvarieties grown by ourmembers which we try tokeep up-to-date. It is a goodidea to have a master list ofvarieties that folks have sothat we don’t lose some of ourgood varieties.

This year, Miles Beachsent us cuttings of Heirloomvarieties. Jim Campbellselected cuttings of goodvarieties from his garden aswell. We contacted Stephanie

and John Grimm to get some of the Stonevarieties which we could not locate in theBaton Rouge area.We have a mission to assist in maintainingthe Stone garden along with all of theother camellias at the Burden Center. Wewould like to see people wanting to cometo Baton Rouge specifically to visit theBurden Gardens.

The profits from our sales of plants areshared 50/50 with Burden Center – eitherwith dollars or with contributions of pinebark, etc.

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From a Gardener’s Journal

By Lynn RichardsonBrookhaven, Mississippi

The conference is over! I do hopeeveryone who was there has as

much fun as we did. I also hope thepeople who had not visited Natchezbefore liked it enough to come backin the future. It has always been aplace close to my heart,especiallythe river. The river informs who weare as a people for much of the state.It is and alwayshas been part ofour lives. Evenwhen we livedin other states,there wasalways a riverclose by, not theMississippi butan importantr i v e r ,nevertheless.

Now we canlook forward tothe next part of theseason, the various shows comingup. This year our camellias areblooming earlier than ever,probably in part to a spring with rainat the proper time for buddevelopment. My darling ShiroBokuhan always blooms the firstweek of October, but AlbaFimbriata? She is always a

Thanksgiving girl, blooming aroundthen. Also, Governor Mouton,Marie Bracey, Rose Dawn, ShishiGashira, Kanjiro, Mine no Yuke,C.M. Hovey, Jury's Double Yellow,Black Gold Variegated, PinkPerfection, Pink Snow and evenKujaku-a very late bloomer for me.Not to mention our two Higos. It is

a joy to go out inthe yard everyday and see whohas come out inbloom that day!Maybe this yearwe will haveblooms forGulfport and theearlier shows.Many of ourcamellias aremid to lateseason bloomers

so it is nice toanticipate showing blooms earlier.

So now it is getting to be showtime, show time, show time! Timeto get out boxes, polyfill, watertubes, grooming tools andnomenclature books, not to mentionentry cards, stamps or addresslabels. We have a small case(inspired by Mike and Geri Jinks)

Shiro-Karako (Shiro Bokuhan) c. japonica,Japan 1935.

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with all of the books, cards, etc. init.

Those of us who are showchairman need to make sure ourlocation is booked, start working onschedules, check supplies and getinvitations ready to send, and makesure of our committee chairman,supplies like trays, cups, pitchersand other stuff. Then we can workon scheduling our nervousbreakdown afterward. Make sure ofvendors, too. Not to mentionjudges! So much to think about anddo and make the lists to make surewe get it all done. Actually, in spiteof the work involved we really

enjoy it. It is a big event inBrookhaven and we always try todo credit to our late friend andmentor, Thomas Perkins.

Now we have recovered fromthe Conference and are lookingforward to Mobile hosting it nextyear. Hope to see all of you there. Just found out that Pensacolawill host the A.C.S. Conventionnext year and are looking forwardto that! That will be a greatopportunity for those who live inthe Gulf South. Several years back,Slidell did a terrifie job hosting theconference.

Gregory Earl (Greg) Davis, born in Austin, TX, on July23, 1930, died October 21, 2012, in Houston, TX, aftera brief battle with cancer. He was the only son of ChesleyEarl and Evelyn Tigner Davis. Raised in Huntsville, Greg excelled in variousathletics, was captain/quarterback for the HuntsvilleHornets; an honor student, he served as Sr. ClassPresident and Valedictorian. He became an Eagle Scout.

Greg received his BS in Chemical Engineering from Rice Institute in1952. After college, Greg entered into the petrochemical industry,beginning with Celanese, TX Butadiene, and lastly enjoyed 31 years ofservice with Exxon Mobile, retiring in 1992. Moving the family to Houstonin 1968, Greg was introduced to camellias and became an avid camelliahobbyist. Over the years, he served in various capacities for the Houston,Gulf Coast and American Camellia societies as well as 8 years as Presidentof the International Camellia Society. Greg had a lifelong interest in photography, contributing photos to theRice Owlmanac, Exxon, and various camellia journals. He was neverwithout a camera!

GCCS Past-president Gregory Earl Davis(1930-2012)

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ACS Camellia FlowerBlight Research Project

Dr. Bill Bennett of Pensacola is conducting a research project onpetal blight in Camellias. He will attempt to produce infectious sporesin the lab that will enable him to study and understand what conditionscontrol spore blight release without the limitations of seasonal conditionsthat trigger natural outbreaks.

HE NEEDS THE HELP OF CAMELLIA GROWERS inorder to track the blight and develop a better understanding of thetiming of infections in the different regions of the U. S.

Please complete the form below and let Dr. Bennett know whenpetal blight first appears in your area.

ACS CAMELLIA FLOWER BLIGHT RESEARCH PROJECT

Date flower blight infection first observedon Camellia flower _________________

Zip code where infected plant grows _________________

Your mailing address _____________________________________

_____________________________________

Please mail completed form to:

ACS Camellia Flower Blight Projectc/o Bill Bennett3846 Menendez DrivePensacola, FL 32503

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2012-2013 Show Dates1 December 2012 - Ozone Camellia Club, Slidell, LASaint Margaret Mary Gym, Robert Road, Slidell, LA.

1 December 2012 - Valdosta Camellia Society, Valdosta, GA.First Methodist Church, 220 Patterson St., Valdosta, GA

8 December 2012 - Pensacola Camellia Club, Pensacola, FLFirst Baptist Church, 500 North Palafox, Pensacola, FL.

15 December 2012 - Northshore Camellia Club, Covington, LASt. Scholastica’s Academy Gym., 122 North Massachusetts St, Covington, LA.

5 January 2013 - Gainsville Camellia Society, Gainsville, FL.Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, 4700 Southwest 58th Drive, Gainsville, FL.

12 January 2013 - Camellia Club of New Orleans, LA—To Be Announced

19 & 20 January 2013 – Camellia Club of Mobile, Mobile, ALColonial Mall, Bel Air, Mobile, AL.

26 January - Coushatta Camellia Society, Conroe, TX.First Christian Church Fellowship Building, 3500 North Loop 336 West.

26-27 January 2013, Ocala Camellia Society, Ocala, FL.Pioneer Garden Club, 4331 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, FL.

2 & 3 February 2013—Brookhaven Camellia Society, Brookhaven, MSBrookhaven Recreation Department, Highway 51 N.

2 & 3 February 2013—Quitman Garden Club, Quitman, GA.Microcraft Building 15656 Hwy 84 E, Quitman, GA.

9 & 10 February 2013 – Baton Rouge Camellia Society, Baton Rouge, LARural Life Museum, Essen Lane at I-10, Baton Rouge, LA.

9 & 10 February, 2013 – Birmingham Camellia Society, Birmingham, ALCANCELLED For this year.

9 & 10 February 2013 – Tampa Bay Area Camellia SocietyTampa Bay Women’s Club, 2901 Bayshore Blvd., Tampa. FL.

16 February 2013 - Coushatta Camellia Society, Huntsville, TX.at Gibbs Ranch Conference Center, Sam Houston State University, 113 Fraser Road.

16 & 17 February 2013 - North Georgia Camellia Society, Atlanta, GA.Atlanta Botannical Garden, 1345 Piedmont Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA.

23 & 24 February 2013 - Middle Georgia Camellia Society, Fort Valley, GAMassee Lane Gardens, Fort Valley, GA.

2 March 2013- Southeast Alabama Camellia Club, Dothan, ALFirst Methodist Church. Check for updates on our website

If you have a show date or judging school date that you would like listed in The Camellian,please send them to the editor at the address on the inside back cover.

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#1 ___________________ #2 ______________________

#3 ___________________

#5 ___________________ #6 ______________________

1891

1875

1792

#4 ___________________

C a m e l l i a Q u i zI got complaints that the last quiz was a bit too hard, so here is anotherattempt. These are all “Historical Varieties” with their year of introduction.However, you get no name clues this time. Answers on page 25.

1887

1840s

1875

18

The 2012 Annual Meeting ofthe Gulf Coast Camellia

Society was held on Oct. 15 and16 at the Natchez Grand Hotel inNatchez, Ms., hosted by theBrookhaven Camellia Club. Themeeting was opened at 8:35 amby President Dick Hooten. Therewere 65 members present. Amotion was made and approvedto adopt the minutes from lastyear as they were published inThe Camellian. Peter Soulesgave the Treasurer’s report.Balance in general checkingaccount as of August 31, 2012,was $11,317.21. Net profit fromthe 2011 Annual Meeting was$675.00. A moment of silencewas had for deceased clubmembers. There was no OldBusiness. In the area of NewBusiness, Hooten announced thatthe new editor of The Camellianwas Kenn Campbell of the BatonRouge club. New officers wereannounced: President, LynnVicknair; Vice President, JimDwyer; Treasurer, Peter Soules;Secretary, Lynnette Soules. The2013 Annual Meeting will behosted by the Mobile Club heldon the Eastern Shore of MobileBay.

Celeste Richard of the ACSintroduced new OperationsManager of Massee LaneGardens, Matthew Israel. Hemade an extensive, informative

GULF COAST CAMELLIA SOCIETY ANNUAL MEETING

Natchez Grand Hotel

Minutes of the meeting ofOct. 16, 2012

GCCS PresidentDick Hootonchaired theAnnual Meeting

Matthew Israel, new Operations Manager of the ACSMasse Lane Gardens.

Marie Mizell, Bob Stroud, Kenn Campbell, and ErinStroud

19

and interesting presentation on“The State of Massee LaneGardens.” His power pointpresentation included projectsthrough the summer of 2012: newcamellia signage on all the plants,renewed accreditation at theInternational Camellia Society asan “International Garden ofExcellence,” cleaning of severalareas: the Butler and DoddGreenhouses, the SmithGreenhouse Landing, the StrotherFormal Garden and theEnvironmental Garden. TheCamellila House was renovatedand the Japanese Garden wasrevitalized. A new dump truckwas acquired. New native specieswere added to the Dr. Dan &Muriel Nathan Education Pavilionand the West Field. A master planhas been drawn for the SilverConservatory. Future ACSresearch will be done on 25varieties for growth in the sun,and camellia oil as a newagricultural crop in the US. Itwould be a main source of oil forcooking, cosmetics andlubricating.

Celeste Richard spoke oncurrent ACS promotions, such asthe annual membership contest forclubs and individuals, a reducedrate of membership dues for newmembers and the first annualcamellia wall calendar for sale.

Hunter Charbonnet, GulfRegion Director, gave a GCCSRegional update. Lineage isimportant in that we preserve thelegacy of camellias. Commitmentis another area he urged ofmembers. If we go out to getmonies from big donors, they’ll

Hunter Charbonnet,Gulf Region

Director, gave aGCCS Regional

update.

Lisa Millergets a hug from

Jim Campbell

Bob Harden and Tommy Weeks

Winners of the raffled painting Joyce and AndyHoudek, Lynn Vicknair and the artist, Kay Kaberlein.

20

ask what kind of participation dowe have from members. He saidto remember “MAC”, Membershipand Commitment.

Mike Jinks reported that JasonMcDonald of the Brookhaven areais putting in 10 acres of tea plants.He plans on 60,000 such plants.

Dr. Alan Henn, ExtensionServices Licensed PlantPathologist from Mississippi StateUniversity spoke on “PlantPathology and its application togrowing camellias.” He stressedwhat can go wrong and what cancan be done about it. Plantdiseases are affected by 3 things:the plant itself, environment andthe cause, such as a living cause,fungus, or non-living, such as soilcondition, virus. When theyoverlap, diseases occur. Petalblight is caused by small air bornespores, emanating from smallmushrooms, that land on thesurface of the petal. Moistureenhances their growth and theyspores send out roots looking forplace to enter and burrow, andpenetrate the plant into cell wall.Thus the petals turn brown andstart to shrivel. To managecamellia growth and flowering,one must break the life cycle ofspore growth by good sanitation,such as raking, new mulch, flowerremoval. Temperature andhumidity affect spore growth.Actually, petal blight is really adefense mechanism, allowing it todie off and save the rest of the plantand stop the spreading. A recentproblem Dr. Henn has seen on theGulf Coast is edema on camellias,split raised areas, caused by waterin the soil which pushes its way upthrough the plant and then high

Geri Jinks and Bette Hooton

Michael Jinks and Roger Vinson

Judy Kerr and Carol Comber

21

Linda and Bob Ehrhart Leo Brown, Jim Dwyer, Jimmy Walker and AlBaugh

Marie Mizell, Joan Blanchard and Eileen Dwyer Jim Campbell and Claudette Shelfer

Homer Richardson andDick Hooton

Roger Vinson and KenClark

Laura Holmes and Will Mangham

The BanquetJoan Blanchard, Carolyn Dickson and

Jaqueline Moran

The Meetingand the Banquet

22

humidity at night causes the cellsto rupture. He ended by sayingthat if tips of leaves are dying,could be root rot.

Homer Richardson, of theBrookhaven Camellia Club, andChairman of the Natchez Meetingspoke on Camellias in theLandscape. He said that camelliascan have different purposes. Theycan serve as a hedge, foundationplant, point of interest, hiding anugly area. Excellent use is to mixcontrast and texture, color andsize.

Kathleen Jenkins of theNational Park Service spoke on“Historic Natchez and Camellias”.The Natchez Pilgrimage wasstarted in 1932. Parts of “Gonewith the Wind” movie were shotin Natchez and a camellia wasnamed after Vivian Leigh.Melrose, a historic town home, isowned by the National ParkService. The BrookhavenCamellia Society along with theMelrose Garden Friends did muchto landscape and enhance thegrounds.

The meeting was adjourned atnoon.

Respectfully submitted,Lynnette SoulesSecretary

Additional Notes:Afternoon tours went to

Melrose House and LongwoodHouse, two homes built in the1800s. Banquet dinner entertainerwas Pensacola Camellia Clubmember Ellen Vinson, singingsongs from “Showboat” and othermusicals.Joe Holmes and Matthew Israel

Kathleen Jenkins of the National Park Service spokeon “Historic Natchez and Camellias”.

Jimmy Walker and Vicki Baugh

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It’s that wonderful time of the year again—just warmenough and just cool enough for the camellias to pop.Except a very strange thing happened in my garage. AndI remember Mary Ellen Edwards’ warning: “Wait ‘tillit rains, honey!” I really didn’t give it a second thought. OnWednesday after the Natchez Party (and a party it was!),I noticed that my Highlander was just about as full aswhen we left P’cola for Natchez the Sunday before. “Where did all those bags come from in the back of the car?” I queried. “Tommy Weeks,” says he. “Oh. You ran out of Mark Crawford’s fertilizer in the garage?” asks I. Himself speaks: “No-o-o. This is to go to Mark.” And he turned up theradio. Son of a gun! I should have remembered—Mark’s fertilizer. I thoughtit was all gone because I didn’t smell it any more. So when I went out tothe garage on Friday, after Thursday’s rain, it hit me like a blast of skunk!Dear heavenly day! So now I know that the base is chicken manure, andHulyn Smith’s pet name for it was ‘hen-doo’. And this is the last word onfertilizer I will ever write.

Well, I can’t speak for anyone exceptDick and me, but we had a wonderfultime in Natchez probably because all ourrowdy friends had come to town. TheJinks and the Richardsons know how tohave a good time. As in most old cities,shops and entertainment are walkable;and Patti Perkins and I took advantage ofit all. Kudos to Homer and I hope thatfirst peaceful day he had on Thursday wasa good one. The hotel and staff werefriendly and efficient, the food delicious,especially that shrimp pasta thing onTuesday night. Another nice surprise forall was the jazz fest by Ellen Vinson, ourown ‘alba plena of the Gulf Coast’. Hervoice is as lovely as she is.

“The Pink Perfection of Pensacola”By Bette Hooton

Ellen Vinson, “The Pink Perfection ofPensacola.” Continued page 24

24

From there, the Hospitality Room was our destination to listen to theDebate—no, not that one—Kenn Campbell and Dick about single maltscotch—but we did watch the Other One, too. As you can figure out, my wrist is healed and I’m back at the ironingboard. Gulfport’s show is coming soon as is Ft Walton’s—I’m ready.November and then December. The Pensacola Club is working hard tomake its show on Dec. 8 fantastic, and a location change always presentschallenges. But Skip and the group are up to it and want you all to cometo the Panhandle. I promise you more of Ellen Vinson, ‘the pink perfectionof Pensacola’.

“The Pink Perfection of Pensacola” - contrinued from page 23

Editor’s NoteBy Kenn Campbell

Thanks to all of you who sent in material for the last issue (myfirst). It is much appreciated. I am told it was a good issue, so youmust have done something right. Keep up the good work. In order to synchronize publication with the seasons, I haveestablished the following deadlines:

Issue Months To Editor by To Printer MailedNo.1 Winter Dec-Jan-Feb 15 Nov 24 Nov 29 Nov

No.2 Spring Mar-Apr-May 15 Feb 21 Feb 26 FebNo.3 Summer Jun-Jul-Aug 15 May 24 May 29 MayNo.4 Autumn Sep-Oct-Nov 15 Aug 24 Aug 29 Aug

Keep these dates in mind and try not to wait until the last minute towrite your article.

I had to get a new computer. The old “Pagermaker” desktoppublishing software that I had been using for fifteen years wasdiscontinued some time ago, so I had to get new software that wascompatible with Windows 7. Naturally, all of the commands andicons are different and in different places. As a result, I am havingto unlearn all that I have been doing all these years and learn anew!It has been a painfully slow process. I suppose the next issue willbe less painful.

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1905 from the “IndustrialGardener’s Boy’s Home.” In1931, Rubel propagated from itat his Longview Nursery,Alabama. Bellingrath Gardens,Mobile, Alabama, bought theoriginal plant and called it VictorEmmanuel due to its likeness tothe Italian variety ‘VictorioEmmanuel II.’ “As ‘VictorEmmanuel’ is a valid synonymfor the old Italian variety‘Victorio Emmanuel II’published in 1861-1862, it mustbe rejected as a synonym for‘Blood of China.’”

By Kenn Campbell

‘Blood of China’ (c. japonica 1938)Robert Rubel, “Longview” Mobile, AL.

Cast zinc tag found on a plant of ‘Blood ofChina’ at at the plantation of Mr. MacVea inWest Feleciana Parish, Louisiana. The tagreads: “Longview” Crichton, ALA. Robt. D.Rubel, Jr. Prop., Camellia Specialist. Camellia,Blood of China, propagated 1931.

Blood of China - An Old Mobile Variety

1. Daikgura (Wards) 1891, 2. Lady Vansittart 1887, 3. Herme 1875,4. Mathotiana 1840s, 5. Alba Plena 1792, 6. Pink Perfection 1875

Got six right - You’re the ‘historical’ expert at the show. Got 4-5 right -You know your old timers. Got 1-3 right - Not bad for an amateur.

Camellia Quiz Answers

The International CamelliaRegister describes Blood ofChina as follows:

“They are a deep, butbrilliant, salmon red withreticulated darker veins,occasionally a few petals in thecenter are slightly splashedwhite. When fully open, a shortbunch of golden stamens adds tothe colour harmony. Mid-seasonto late flowering.”

The plant originated from anunknown variety in the garden ofHenry Stoutz in Mobile,Alabama, which he purchased in

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In the Winter Garden ………………….By Art Landry

W inter is the time to enjoy the fruit of your labors of the spring,summer, and fall. Camellias need ample moisture to bloom; soak

with 1" of water every week we don't get enough rain. Try to pick up spentblooms to control petal blight. Transplanting of plants can take place inDecember and continue through February. If you prepared your plantingsites in October the planting place should be in good shape by now if you'veturned the soil over a few times. If you didn't do this earlier, do it now andwait a month or two. Container-grown plants can be planted into the groundat anytime, if you make sure the roots are well mated to the new soil andnot allowed to dry out.

DecemberDon't overlook the pleasure that you can share by giving camellia plants

or books as Christmas presents. A gift membership in your local camelliasociety, the Gulf Coast Camellia Society or the American Camellia Societywill also be appreciated by your camellia friends.

JanuaryJanuary is a good time to do minor pruning while you are cutting

flowers from the bush. If the branch is a weak one or will have no growthbud on it, then cut it off back at the main branch or the trunk. Don't leavea branch with leaves on it without growth buds; it is likely to die backanyway. You are better off to prune it away at the time you cut the flower.

If you have a plant with a scale problem, you can spray with oilemulsion such as Dormant Oil or Ultrafine Oil spray. Another good productis Neem Oil, also sold as a rose spray. Look for the active ingredient to beNeem Oil. (For example, Neem Oil is now 'the active ingredient in "TripleAction" spray by Fertilome which also contains a miticide and a fungicide.)As with other oil sprays, use in mild weather periods to avoid damage tothe leaves. Always use as directed by manufacturer.

FebruaryFebruary is usually the month of most profuse blooming of camellias inthis area. The early bloomers are finishing, the midseason varieties are infull swing, and the late season bloomers are starting. We seldom have hardfreezes in February to interrupt the blooming. Although the blossoms don'tseem to last as well at the season, the number of blooms opening every dayoffsets that problem. Outdoor plants seldom need any watering since wegenerally get ample rain during this period. Be sure to check containers,though, if rainfall is sparse.

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American Camellia Societywww.americancamellias.org

Atlantic Coast Camellia Societywww.atilanticcoastcamelliasociety.org

Baton Rouge Camellia Societywww.facebook.com/brcamellias

Birmingham Camellia Societywww.birminghamcamellias.com

Brookhaven Camellia Societywww.homerrichardson.com/camellia

Camellia Society of North Floridawww.atlanticcoastcamelliasociety.comlCamellia _ Society _North _ Fla.html

Fort Walton Beach Camellia Societywww.facebook.com/FWBCCamelliaSociety

Gainesville (Florida) Camellia Societywww.afn.org/-camellia/

Gulf Coast Camellia Societywww.gulfcoastcamellias.org

Mississippi Gulf Coast Camellia Societywww.facebook.com/Mississippi_Gulf_Coast_Camellia_Society

Mobile Camellia Societywww.mobilecamellia.org

Northshore Camellia Societywww.northshorecamelliasociety.org

Pensacola Camellia Clubwww.pensacolacamelliaclub.com

Camellia Websites

Does your club have a website? Send it to us and we will be glad to print it.

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An Invitation to JoinGulf Coast Camellia Society

The Gulf Coast Camellia Society was organized in 1962 for thepurpose of extending appreciation and enjoyment of camellias. TheSociety strives to provide information to its members about all aspectsof the care and culture of camellia plants as well as the exhibitingand showing of camellia blooms. The Society also serves as a forumfor members to share and exchange information and experiences withother members.

Annual dues for membership in the Gulf Coast Camellia Society are$10.00 for individuals and $12.00 for couples. Membership runsfrom August through July each year. Life Membership is availableat 20 times the annual membership - $200 for individual and $240for couples. Included with membership are four issues of The GulfCoast Camellian which contains articles on all aspects of camelliaculture as well as serving as an exchange of news and informationbetween and for members. The Camellian also contains reports of theSociety’s operations, minutes of meetings, financial reports, shownews, and other subjects of interest to our members.

To join, send your name, address, phone number, and e-mail address,along with your payment to Gulf Coast Camellia Society, in care ofPeter Soules, 22128 5th St., Abita Springs, LA 70420.

Our next annual meeting.

The dates are: October 14 and 15 (Monday and Tuesday), with arrivalof some on Sunday. Spanish Fort's Five Rivers Delta Resource Centeris the destination for the Tuesday educational meeting and lunch.Evening dinners are at Daphne's Civic Center. Spanish Fort's MarriottCourtyard is the host hotel. All sites are the same as discussed atBoard Meetings. All sites are within a few miles of each other on theEastern Shore of Mobile Bay. Vicki and Ed Baugh are making allarrangements.

President Lynn Vicknair 1632 Steele Blvd. Baton Rouge, LA 70808 (225) 343-8708 Iynnv@cox.net

Vice-President Jim Dwyer 14040 Riverside Dr.

Foley, AL 36535(251) 988-1405Jdwyer@gulftel.com

Treasurer Peter Soules 22128 5th St. Abita Springs, LA 70420 (985) 893-2418 peterabita@hotmail.com

Secretary Lynnette Soules 22128 5th St. Abita Springs, LA 70420 (985) 893-2418 lynnabita@hotmail.com

Editor Kenneth B. Campbell 3310 Fairway Drive Baton Rouge, LA 70809 (225) 923-1697 kennbc@cox.net

State Vice Presidents

Alabama Jim Dwyer California Steve Mefford Florida Carol Comber Georgia Mark Crawford Louisiana Jim Campbell Mississippi James Smelley, Carl Moran North Carolina South Carolina Tennessee Richard Frank Texas Claudette Shelter

The Gulf Coast Camellian is published quarterlyby the Gulf Coast Camellia Society, Inc.

Copyright 2012

The Gulf Coast Camellia SocietyOfficers 2012 - 2014

Original species camellia japonica, Jyougashima Garden Japan