Next Meeting

SOCIALLY DISTANT MEETING VENUES AND VIRTUAL MEETINGS ARE PLANNED...SEE CALENDAR.

Topic: Selecting and Preparing Show Blooms and Judging Criteria

Speaker: Diane Clark and Matt Hunter

Where: Virtual by ZOOM, joining details to follow by email to members

Date: December 15, 2020

Time: 7:00 P.M.

SAVE THE DATE: JANUARY 19th, 2021, 7:00 pm

"The Best Camellias For Your Garden"

Bradford King, ACS President

Where: Virtual by ZOOM

SAVE THE DATE: February 21 - 28, 2021

Camellia Show and Festival

SAVE THE DATE: March 16th, 2021, 7:00 pm

"Fertilization and Disease Control"

Mark Crawford, MS in Plant Pathology and owner of Loch Laurel Nursery, Valdosta, GA

Where: Virtual by ZOOM

Link "Early Blooming Camellias"

Events

A special workshop is entitled "Pruning Camellias for Rescue, General Health, and Appearance in the Landscape". If your camellias are looking a little ragged this is definitely the workshop for you!

Oakdale Cemetery in cooperation with the Tidewater Camellia Club will be conducting a special Pruning Workshop on Saturday December 5th, 2020 at 1pm. The rain date is Sunday December 6th at 1pm. The workshop will be conducted by Matt Hunter, a very experienced camellia grower and pruner. Participants will receive handouts, general guidance, and specific coaching while they practice pruning well-established camellia plants at Oakdale Cemetery. Duration of the workshop is expected to be no longer than about two hours. Attendance is limited so anyone interested should promptly contact Matt Hunter at 910-232-0304 or Eric Kozen at 910-762-5682 to reserve your spot. Admission is free to members of Friends of Oakdale and the Tidewater Camellia Club. The workshops are also free to the public for a voluntary donation to Oakdale Cemetery. Attendees will meet just outside the entrance to Oakdale Cemetery on 15th Street, Wilmington NC. Participants should bring gloves, hand pruners, and Personal Protective Equipment as appropriate to ensure the safety of all concerned. Because all work will be conducted outside either alone or in small groups social distancing will be available to enhance safety.

Any questions can be addressed to either Matt or Eric during normal business hours. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

See the Tidewater Fall Show 2020 Gallery

Seasonal Comments:

A number of members and guests have asked where they can purchase camellias, particularly since TCC is not having a Fall 2020 plant sale. Local providers, in no particular order:

Transplanted Gardens, Wilmington

--- NOTE: Transplanted Gardens received its Fall camellia order, so the selection is at its peak !!! ---

Link here

Pender Pines Nursery, Hampstead

Johnson's Nursery, Willard

Lowes Home Improvement

Home Depot

This is a season with possible frost and persistent dry winds. Light frost does not damage most in-ground plants. Heavy frost or temperatures below 26 degrees for more than a few hours can damage or kill camellias. Such conditions are more likely in mid-winter than now. Colder conditions may occur away from the coast or in isolated low areas. New plants, new growth, or camellias in pots are more susceptible to cold damage. Since cold damage is often caused by or facilitated by dehydration, maintain soil moisture.

Other Local Events

Art & The Bloom 2021

New Hanover Garden Club

January 7-10, 2021

See Facebook Announcement

Garden News

December Camellia Care

Gibbing, i.e. treating blooms with gibberellic acid, may be done to enhance bloom size and advance blooming time . (Search gibberellic acid and camellias, or see ACS site.) DO NOT gib more than 4 or 5 bloom buds per established plant at a time. Repeat every other week to provide consistent blooming, e.g., for camellia shows or holiday use. Gibberellic acid is available on line or to members by sending a request to TCC email.

Another way to increase bloom size and limit damage from adjacent blooms is to debud if blooms are overcrowded, leaving 1 bud on the terminal end of a branch.