VALDOSTA CAMELLIA AND GARDEN CLUB

March/April 2015 

A Message From Our President Mark  Crawford 

Warm weather has arrived in a hurry this year after a rather cold and very wet winter. Camellia season is about over with a few stray buds opening on the late varieties. Now is the time to trim your plants and fertilize. If you have a scale problem trim the plants so the limbs are at least 18 inches off the ground. If your plants have not flushed new growth you have time to apply a dormant or Volck oil spray. If growth buds are expanded then use citrus or summer oil that will not damage new growth. It is also time to remove all the unopened buds and do general cleanup of your plants so they look good for the summer. If you grafted plants in January and February you should begin to see growth soon with April 15 being the time when things should begin to happen with your grafts – good or bad. We need to schedule another workday in April at our upcoming meeting before the weather gets hot to install the plaque on the rock, prune a few more camellias as needed and complete one section of the walking path where water runoff from the parking lot is a problem. We also voted as a club to help restore the camellia collection and grounds at the J. T. Roberts House which is the oldest House in Valdosta. As Bruce Green shared with us at the last meeting this camellia garden along with the Sara Oliver Camellia Garden could be part of a future Georgia Camellia Trail that runs throughout Georgia. We also look forward to hearing the results of the Camellia Photo Contest later in May. We want to thank Stewart Tomlinson for the wonderful presentation on Oriental Magnolias he gave at our last meeting. Our final meeting of the season will be a picnic at Loch Laurel Nursery hosted by Mark and Sherrida on Saturday, April 11, beginning at 11 AM. Since we hosted an ACS tour of 130 people in January we are now ready for a camellia club meeting. Look forward to seeing you on Saturday the 11th. Mark

END OF YEAR PICNIC

SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015

At Loch Laurel Nursery Home of Mark and Sherrida Crawford

2867 Carroll Ulmer Road

Come at 11:00 for a stroll through the gardens followed by a fried chicken lunch at 12:00. Chicken and beverages will be provided. Club members please bring a side dish

(salad, vegetable, or desert.)

RSVP: craw142@bellsouth.net or

229-460-5922 (leave message if necessary)

For a map and printed directions go to: http://www.lochlaurelnursery.com/

O ne of the best advantages of growing camellias is their ability to bloom over a very long season. Sasanquas bloom in the fall, then the japonicas

bloom in late fall and winter, and during the late winter or even early spring many late blooming japonicas and most reticulata varieties bloom. But, the blooms do eventually disappear typically from April to September. Also, it gets dark early in the winter and some days are too cold and rainy to get out and look at the blooms. If

you are a camellia addict how do you deal with the times when you cannot see real live camellia blooms? Well, how about expanding your camellia hobby with photography.

Let me share several reasons I think photography and camellias are a great combination.

Camellia photographs allow you to enjoy camellias all year long not just during the bloom season.

You can share photos with other camellia enthusiast. I enjoy receiving camellia photos nearly weekly from e-mails that Randolph Maphis and other camellia growers send me.

Helps you learn to recognize many blooms immediately by sight. Did you ever wonder how some people (especially many camellia judges) can identify so many blooms – it’s by looking at them over and over and over either in person or by help of photos.

Photography is a great reason to get out and look at your blooms and visit other camellia gardens.

Many folks enjoy taking photos at the various camellia shows and then coming home and selecting the best photo of each variety and organizing and storing them on their home computers.

Camellia photography keeps your social media profile active. You can join a Facebook or other media site and post photos and comment on others photos. I have camellia friends from all over the country – some I have never actually met in person but I know them well from sharing camellia photos.

When Randolph or someone else say’s they bloomed an eight inch wide camellia bloom of a certain camellia variety a photo is proof of such.

Now, please understand, I am not a photography

expert – but, thankfully, you don’t have to be to enjoy this hobby. Nowadays, every monkey with a digital camera is called a photographer (see photo for proof.) Let me share some tips I have heard or read about in regards to taking good camellia photos.

First, take lots and lots of photos. Digital cameras

make this easy and affordable. Just delete all the bad ones – no need to have to pay to get them all developed like you used to do with film cameras. The biggest advantage to digital is instant gratification – you can immediately see the results.

Early morning is the best time to capture camellia blooms before they fade or wilt. Avoid midday bright sun which can wash out your photo.

Have a camera available at all times. Don’t miss great camellia photos because the camera was left at home or in my case I have let the batteries go dead.

Avoid distracting objects in the background. Clothes pins can be used to pin distracting foliage or branches out of the way.

A simple mister or spray bottle can be used to add faux dew drops on the bloom if that is the effect you desire.

A Q-Tip can remove a patch of dust, pollen, or debris without bruising the flower.

Expand the Camel l ia Hobby with Photography

by: J. D. Thomerson

Photos by: Randolph Maphis

The rarest thing in the world is a women who is pleased with a

photograph of herself.

Everyone has a photographic

memory — some just don’t have

any film.

Jenny Maphis

This is a medium re c hybrid that Frank Pursel originally planted but eventually came to Hulyn Smith in a pot in 1987 upon Frank Pursel and Ray Gentry’s death. In 1991 Hulyn gave it to Randolph who planted it in the ground at Dick Hardison’s yard. One day about three years ago while looking at the blooms in Mr. Hardison’s yard Randolph and I no ced a neglected re culata labeled “White Pursel Re c.” We both thought a minute and said “A White Re c — we should gra this one.” Randolph gra ed 4 of these and they bloomed in his greenhouse this year. This was the first me Randolph had ever seen this plant bloom. Jenny Maphis fell in love with it the first

me she saw it. Randolph registered it for her a couple of weeks ago.

The typical best light for a successful garden shot is a light, cloudy day or even high shade. But experiment – sometimes different light can give unique photos.

Use special tools available with computer software to crop out excess parts of the photo allowing you to zoom in on the bloom. Also, dare I say, you can use retouching tools to remove small defects, brown spots, etc.

Move around and take photos of blooms from various angles – above it, below it, same level, and side shots. Side photos can emphasize the height and number of petals of the bloom. ACS requires side shots for registering new camellia varieties.

Computer software has settings to adjust the color balance and saturation to help get the true color of the bloom.

Turn off the flash if possible – it can often wash out the detail and alter the true color of the bloom.

Well, I hope this article has convinced some of you

to expand your camellia hobby with photography. To encourage others in Valdosta to take photos of their camellias, the Valdosta Camellia and Garden Club is proud to be partnering with the Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts to award a best camellia photo as part of the 7th Annual People Choice Photo Contest. I look forward to viewing all the great photos that people take of camellia blooms located in Valdosta, GA. Hopefully, I can learn some “tricks of the trade” by looking at great photos taken by other people. Talking about great camellia photos – look at the photo gallery that follows. Randolph Maphis has picked out the best of the best camellia photos from the thousands of camellia blooms he has taken.

GREAT PHOTOS OF GREAT CAMELLIAS

Randolph Maphis is known for not only growing and blooming great camellias but also taking amazing photos of his blooms. The photo gallery that follows spotlights 27 beautiful camellia photos that Randolph and I feel are “Must Have” varieties. Many of these varieties have just been registered in the past few years. I have tried to share as much insider knowledge as I could about each variety such as who originated the variety, what the seed and pollen parents were, who it was named for, and any other interesting details. I hope you enjoy this gallery of “Great Photos of Great Camellias.”

Adrene Wheeler

Recently named for one of the founding members of the Valdosta Camellia and Garden Club. This bloom was originated by Hulyn Smith before he passed away in 2011 but not registered un l 2013 by Randolph Maphis. It is one of several re c hybrids of Suzanne  Withers  X Annabelle  Fe erman  that Hulyn developed. Randolph registered this one as a Very Large — and, it truly has to be Very Large for Randolph to register it as such. All of the Suzanne  Withers  X  Annabelle Fe erman  hybrids are good growing plants.

Anne Hightower

This one was just registered a few months ago and is listed as a 2015 registra on. If forced to pick a personal favorite of all the many varie es Hulyn developed this one would definitely be in my top five — I consider it the pre est of them all. It is registered as a Very Large and the petals show a definite white fros ng. It was named for Bill Hightower’s wife Anne. Bill and Anne are members of the Tallahassee Camellia Society and Bill accompanies Randolph on many hun ng expedi ons. Anne Hightower won the Best in Show in Ocala, FL this year — the first

me it had ever been entered in a show. For those who gra ed Hulyn’s unnamed seedlings this one was H.S. #13.

Beulah Hennly

Recently named for a long me member of the

Valdosta Camellia and Garden Club who served in many roles including a term as President and as the club’s treasurer for over 10 years. Randolph recently told me that he considered this one of the best varie es developed by Hulyn Smith. It is a chance seedling that is a large, light pink, semidouble. For many years it was known simply as H.S. #23.

Bill Goertz Var

If you like big golden stamens on big red variegated re cs then you will surely like Bill Goertz Var. It has very unique upright, heavily notched petals with flared stamens. It is 1/2 re culata (William Hertrich) and 1/2 Japonica (Clark Hubbs.) I am sure the notched petals come from the Clark Hubbs genes as that flower has highly fimbriated petals. This variety is very unique.

Brooke Maphis

This variety, originated by Walter Homeyer of Macon, GA, was named for one of Randolph’s granddaughters (the daughter of Sco and Jenny Maphis.) This bloom was originally listed in the nomenclature book as a non‐re c hybrid. Then, it was changed and listed as both a non‐re c hybrid and a re culata. It has now been corrected and is listed in the 2014 nomenclature book as a re culata hybrid only. This variety can get very large. Randolph said that the real Brooke picked a 9 inch wide Brooke Maphis bloom for the dinner table last Thanksgiving. At the ACS Na onal Conven on in Tallahassee Brooke (age 6)asked one of the a endees if they had a flower named for them. When they said “no” she proceeded to walk them over and show them “Brooke Maphis” the flower.

Hulyn’s Meadowbrook

This one was developed by Hulyn Smith and registered in 2014. It is a re c hybrid seedling of Suzanne Withers X  Frank Houser and with parents like that it is bound to be good. It is a very large, medium pink, semidouble to full peony, early to mid season bloom that o en shows white fros ng. Yes, it is good and a very good growing plant. In fact, Mark Crawford says it grows like a weed — and although “weed” sounds bad it is actually high praise. Mark Crawford came up with the name for this one — Hulyn lived on Meadowbrook drive in Valdosta, GA and thus the unique name. There were plants labeled HS #51 and HS# 52 which are both labeled SW X FH as well as a plant with just a SW x FH tag.   Randolph has discovered that HS #51 and the SW x FH are the same but the jury is s ll out on HS #52. 

Cile Watford

Dr. Walter Homeyer from Macon, GA originated this one. Hulyn Smith told me “Dr. Homeyer was a master hybridizer and just a mighty fine camellia grower.” Dr. Homeyer registered over 50 varie es including award winners such as Frank Houser, Edna Bass, and Terrell Weaver. This bloom is a very pure white, medium size, rose form double. Cile Wa ord was named for a long me Tallahassee Camellia Society member named Charles Wa ord.

Dick Hardison

Red edged black red. Medium to large, japonica, formal double with incurved petals. Mr. Hardison registered this one for himself in 1997 so you know it must be good. At first, this one was registered as a Large size bloom but has recently been changed to Medium — Large. It won the pres gious Illges Seedling Award given by the American Camellia Society in 2014. This one wins many awards. Randolph has a variegated Dick Hardison that is very impressive as well.

Ella Joe

This is a seedling registered by Mr. Dick Hardison of Tallahassee, FL for his mother named Ella Joe. Mr. Hardison was a neighbor and close friend of Randolph Maphis and a wonderful camellia mentor to Randolph. Ella Joe is a very pre y clear pink, formal double, that blooms midseason. The bloom is unique because it has pointed petals.

Sharilyn Green

This one was recently named for Randolph‘s daughter — the mother of Mackenzie Green and Meredith Green who already had flowers named a er them. At the 2015 ACS Na onal Conven on while Sharilyn was helping Randolph auc on off plants Randolph pretended to forget what one of the plants was named. He asked Sharilyn to look on the tag and read the name on the tag. To her delight, the tag read “Sharilyn Green.” She was so excited to discover that her dad had just named a camellia for her — it was a really neat way to surprise her and everyone.

Guilio Nuccio Var

During the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s this bloom was consistently winning awards at camellia shows. There are many different variegated strains of this variety out there such as McVey’s Guilio Nuccio. This photo is of Stewart Tomlinson’s Guilio Nuccio and Randolph Maphis say’s it is the best of them all. Guilio Nuccio is a large to very large, semidouble with irregular petals which was registered by Nuccio’s Nursery back in 1956. If you can get one with this type variega on it is s ll hard to beat.

Melissa Anne

This is a beau ful white, large to very large, japonica, loose to full peony bloom with clusters of light yellow interspersed stamens. It was registered in 1995 and has won many best white blooms at shows in the southeast ever since. If you were to rank the best whites this one has to be in the conversa on.

Jim Smelley

Randolph Maphis says that this re c hybrid is so good that it should be in the same class as Frank Houser and Ray Gentry. For readers not as familiar with re culata varie es this means that it is in the category called the “best of the best.” Jim Smelley originated this re c hybrid of Curtain  Call  x Pleasant Memories many years ago. It bloomed in his yard for years (not being registered) and he just called it “Awesome Blossom” and awesome it was. Elaine, his wife, asked Jim to name it for himself just before she passed away. Jim registered two other varie es, Elaine and Linda Griffin which are also Curtain Call x Pleasant Memories  seedlings. All three of these re c hybrids grow well and produce huge 7 inch or larger blooms.

Lady Pamela This is a seedling of Suzanne Withers that was originated in Australia by Dr. R. M Withers. Dr. Withers also registered a variety he named Dr. Bob Withers which is also a white fading to light pink re c hybrid as well as Susie O’Neil which is an incredibly huge light pink bloom. I searched the Interna onal Camellia Registry and found that Dr. Withers has registered over a dozen other seedlings of which most are re c hybrids that u lized Suzanne Withers as the seed parent and re c hybrids Jean Pursel, Arcadia, and Lasca Beauty as pollen parents. I have heard that Howard Rhodes has a source of scions from Australia so I am going to be asking him to try and acquire some for me.

Miss Santa Clara

Here is one that many probably don’t know. Well, trust me — you want this re c hybrid. I don’t know how Hulyn Smith and Randolph Maphis acquired this one. It was registered in 1980 by a Ma Talia from Santa Clara, CA. I had never heard this name before so I searched the Interna onal Camellia Registry using this name and City and discovered that Ma Talia also registered two japonica camellias I have and like very much: Unforgetabble (a large, light pink, peony) and Look Again (a large, light blush pink, anemone.) I also discovered that another mighty fine re c hybrid (Crystal City) was named six years earlier by a hybridizer named A. N. Funari who also lived in Santa Clara, CA. If anybody knows who Ma Talia and A. N. Funari are or have any of their other registered varie es please let me know.

Victoria Whiddon

Hulyn Smith named this seedling for of one Randolph’s granddaughters. Victoria Whiddon is a seedling of the varie es Suzanne  Withers  x Annabelle Fe erman. Hulyn had seven different seedlings of this same hybridized cross. They were originally labeled HS #1, HS #2 and so forth up to HS #7. HS #1 has been named June Curry; HS #2 was named Mary Catherine Cape; HS #3 was named Adrene Wheeler; HS #4 is Victoria Whiddon; HS #5 is Mary Maude Sharpe; HS #6 was named Kay Thomerson; and HS #7 was named Mary Rhodes. You know you are good when you bat 7 out of 7. Hulyn once told me that Suzanne Withers is one hell of a mother — meaning its seed produces very good children.

Katie Shipley

Here is another one that is not o en seen but just listen to this descrip on. Bright Red, Very Large, Re culata, Peony Form. Hulyn Smith loved big, red, re cs and this is an example of what he was talking about. This variety was registered by Dr. Walter Homeyer of Macon, GA in 1996. It is a cross of Craig Clark x Jean Pursel. 

Vernon Mayo Var

This one is actually a fairly old japonica variety (at least compared to most of the others in this photo gallery.) It was registered way back in 1965 (I was only 1 year old back then) by the folks at Tammia Nursery. However, I don’t see this one very o en at shows or in gardens. Hulyn Smith had this variety growing outside in his backyard. It has definitely been overlooked and should be grown by more camellia addicts. It has a Large, Anemone bloom.

Holy Pure (Seng Jie)

Mr. John Wang in California is producing the most exci ng new re culata varie es that folks have seen in years. He has been hybridizing for near white re c hybrids that contain 1/4 Re culata genes and 3/4 Japonica genes as one of his goals. The results are beau ful blooms, good foliage, and easier to grow re c hybrids. A Holy Pure camellia plant was auc oned at the ACS Na onal Conven on this past February with a winning bid of $400 which was almost as much as the $500 bid for Fine Pure (Miao Jie) which is also a John Wang seedling and shown a few slides further down.

Ray Gentry Var (#4)

Hulyn Smith, who originated this variety, had four different strains of Ray Gentry Var. Strain #4 is perhaps the best (but #2 is great as well.) Hulyn named this bloom for his dear friend who raised and sold camellias in Jackson, MS. Hulyn won the 2007 ACS Charlo e C. Knox award for the best new re culata with Ray Gentry. Folks, this variety is really good! A Very Large, Red, Variegated, must have re culata.

Linda Carol

If you bring a nice Linda Carol bloom to a camellia show you have a great shot at winning a Best of Show Bloom award. Mickey Moore won Best in Show with a Linda Carol bloom at the 2013 Massee Lane Camellia Show, Buck and Tyler Mizell won Best overall Re culata with Linda Carol at the 2013 Columbia, SC camellia show, and Howard and Mary Rhodes won best in show in Tallahassee, FL in 2014 with Linda Carol, and I am probably missing many others. Linda Carol is one of over 100 registra ons, most being re c/japonica hybrids, made by Mr. Frank Pursel from Oakland, CA. Linda Carol is a seedling of re c  Cornelian  X japonica Mrs. D.W. Davis.

Terrell Weaver Var

This is one of the more common re culata hybrid varie es grown and can o en be found growing well in the outside garden but the bloom in this photo is far from common. Variega on does not get much be er than this. Terrell Weaver was originated by Dr. Walter Homeyer, from Macon, GA, way back in 1974 and is a cross of re c Crimson Robe  x  japonica  Ville  de Nantes. Terrell Weaver Var was one of Hulyn Smith’s “All Time Favorites” because it would really put on a show with all the moried variega on.

Fine Pure (Miao Jie)

This is another beauty from Mr. John Wang that was just recently registered. It is a Suzanne  Withers  x  Japonica “Kona”  seedling as is Holy Pure. You will no ce, if you have not already, that the variety Suzanne Withers is men oned o en in this photo gallery. Mr. Wang’s registra ons are actually registered in the Interna onal Camellia Register (not the ACCS) with Chinese names. In the Interna onal Camellia Register there are at least a dozen other registra ons from Mr. Wang. Luckily, Randolph Maphis has become good friends with Mr. Wang and through Randolph folks in the USA have access to many of these exci ng hybids being developed by Mr. Wang.

Nanshan Purple Jade

(Nanshan Ziyu)  

From the name alone you can tell that this must be one of John Wang’s new near white re culata crea ons. And, this one is just as pre y as his others. No ce the very light pink‐purple blush on the delicate looking petals. This one was registered in the Interna onal Camellia Register in 2009. It is a medium to large, rose form to formal double with yellow anthers and white filaments. It is a seedling of re c  hybrid Suzanne  Withers  X  japonica Nuccio’s Jewel.    

Memory Lane

A seedling of re c  hybrid  “Lady Pamela” x re c hybrid “In Loving Memory.” This variety was originated in New Zealand by Neville Haydon and scions were sent from New Zealand to Mark Crawford. The bloom is a medium re c hybrid and shows a very pre y faint blush pink especially on the outer petals. Because Neville Haydon does not have a nursery suitable to propagate this variety in New Zealand he has asked Randolph to register this variety in the USA and for Mark to handle the propaga on. Neville chose the name “Memory Lane” as a way to remember all the good friends he has known in the Southern States and California who are no longer with us.

Dr. Annette Thomas

This is the variety that was auctioned at the ACS National Convention for $1,500 that the winning bidder could name whatever they wanted. This one was very nearly lost. Four years ago Randolph and I were on a mission to graft all the seedlings that Hulyn Smith had planted at the Gordy’s Camellia Garden in Ocala, FL. One reticulata in the garden was labeled #6 — since Hulyn had recently named a HS #6 retic seedling of Suzanne Withers x Annabelle Fetterman for my wife Kay Thomerson I assumed this was that original plant. I decided to graft three of these so I would have more Kay Thomerson plants — Randolph grafted it also. Soon after grafting these Randolph calls and say’s we grafted Old #6 not HS #6 and they were different. Good thing we did because that was the only Old #6 plant anywhere. Old #6 is now Dr. Annette Thomas.

Join the Valdosta Camellia & Garden Club Today

Informative meetings – Camellias and much more! Share your gardening ideas and expertise with other members Group events

Meetings are typically held the 4th Tuesday of the month from September through March in Valdosta at the Crescent. Call Mark Crawford at 229-460-5922 for more information.

o $10.00 Individual member o $15.00 Joint membership

Name:

Address:

City, State Zip Code:

Telephone:

Email:

Gardening Interests:

Mail or give to: Sandra Seago Treasurer, Valdosta Camellia & Garden Club 1802 N. Oak St. Valdosta, GA 31602

We look forward to seeing you at the upcoming meetings!

(Please come as our Guest and you can decide if you want to join later)

Typical Meeting Time: 6:30 PM 4th Tuesday of the month from September through March

Crescent Garden Center, 904 North Patterson St., Valdosta, GA

But please e-mail or phone Mark Crawford to make sure of meeting date/time/location as we occasionally meet on other dates and at different locations

E-mail: craw142@bellsouth.net

Phone him at 229-460-5922